Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for laboratories and research facilities: BRIA

Options

Option 1: Do nothing.

Do nothing is not a realistic or viable option. Without guidance to support a cautious restart of non-essential work in labs and research facilities, there is a risk it could potentially lead to bad practice, risk public health, be chaotic and result in anxiety for a sector that will already face a number of challenges in adjusting to a new working reality.

Option 2: Provide guidance for the sector to successfully and safely plan and restart business.

Guidance is required in this unprecedented situation to ensure an orderly restart of business, help increase employer and employee confidence in the safe return to work, protect public health and reduce anxiety.

Sectors and likely groups affected

The scope of this guidance covers all indoor research environments including:

• research and testing laboratories
• engineering centres
• clean rooms
• prototyping centres
• wet laboratories
• wind tunnels
• computer laboratories
• simulators
• material development laboratories
• specialist testing rooms
• field research centres
• all similar workplaces

These environments are in a variety of organisations, such as life sciences and other science-related businesses, universities, colleges, innovation centres and research institutes.

Benefits

Option 1

There are no realistic benefits to option 1. Doing nothing could exacerbate an already difficult situation facing labs and research facilities across Scotland.

Option 2

Universities, research institutes and regulators have been, and will continue to be, involved in the development of the guidance. Provision of the guidance will support safe restart for labs and research facilities, benefiting from sector specific guidance that has been developed with input from trade unions and industry. It will help deliver a situation where employees can have confidence in their safe return to the workplace.

Costs

Option 1

The cost of doing nothing could be significant. A chaotic restart to labs and research facilities could result in greater risk of spreading the coronavirus, thus risking even more economic harm to the sector. This could put Scottish universities at a greater economic disadvantage to their UK counterparts and those abroad.

Labs and research facilities unable to restart safely, resulting in:

• decrease in the volume of research
• loss to Scottish economy in terms of the decrease in outputs which would translate into practical innovation and economic growth (as well as environmental and societal benefits)
• decreased market opportunities, competition, sales and exports
• unemployment
• cost to taxpayer (unemployment benefits; furlough etc.)
• risk to public health and mental health
• loss of talent and expertise.

Option 2

There will be a saving to the public purse as furlough is reduced.

However, there will be a significant financial cost to labs and research facilities in making the workplace safe. A limit on staff numbers in the workplace and significant movement restrictions and hygiene and cleaning regimes will impact negatively on productivity.