N—40804 
Loading pamphlets into pass-clave inside research unit 
for sterilization. 
research are isolated from the general 
service area. To reach the animal room, 
scientists must pass through an inside 
shower and dressing room. When ex- 
periments are completed, animals are ex- 
amined in the post mortem room and 
disposed of in a small incinerator. 
Glazed enamel cement walls, steel 
doors, resilient tile floors, and other sur- 
faces are designed for easy and frequent 
cleaning. Steam or hot water is faucet- 
mixed with detergents or disinfectants 
and applied under pressure. Units are 
decontaminated before reuse. 
In addition to a small autoclave for 
research materials, each unit has a large 
wall autoclave. This opens into the gen- 
eral service area, with a second door on 
the “clean’’ corridor outside the unit. 
Automatic controls prevent the opening 
of both doors at the same time. All 
reusable supphes must be treated here 
before they are removed for routine 
cleaning. In the autoclave, materials 
are sterilized with steam or gas, such as 
ethylene oxide. Decontaminated = ma- 
N—40805 
Removing ‘‘clean’’ pamphlets from pass-clave in 
outside hall after overnight treatment. 
terials may be removed from the corridor 
side, if the autoclave door on the other 
side is locked. 
Books and papers presented a special 
decontamination problem to laboratory 
planners. They realized these items—if 
untreated—could carry disease agents 
and undermine the entire safety system. 
Their solution: a small autoclave— 
known as a _ pass-clave—built into the 
wall between the record room and the 
outside corridor. It uses ethylene oxide, 
a gas that does not harm paper. After 
overnight treatment, items may be re- 
moved from the corridor side of the 
pass-clave and taken to other parts of 
the laboratory without danger of spread- 
ing disease. 
Several of the research units 
have been combined to allow freer co- 
operation and consultation among scien- 
tists who work with uncontaminated 
materials. For example, the chemistry- 
physies unit contains 16 basie research 
rooms for the study of chemical and 
physical properties of biologic materials. 
basie 
7 
