Lab containers for public health – BSL-3, emergency preparedness, diagnostics
BSL-2/BSL-3 pandemic diagnostics under IfSG and RiliBÄK, CBRN modules for NBC incidents, ZSKG stockpiling with annual maintenance, helicopter lifting frames for CH-53/CH-47/NH-90, DEMIS connection. When the situation escalates, speed is everything.
Stockpiled at the Albstadt factory, operational within three days at the installation site.
Planexus Engineering Team
Content is owned by the Planexus engineering team — civil engineers, process engineers and laboratory planners with specialised experience in modular laboratory construction. Planexus GmbH is part of Wesemann Holding GmbH and delivers BSL-2, BSL-3, GMP and ATEX containers for pharma, biotech, research and crisis units across DACH.
Why public-health authorities and civil protection rely on stockpiled containers
SARS-CoV-2 showed that PCR capacity decides the course of a pandemic. CBRN incidents, flooding, earthquakes or power failure require diagnostics on site, not in the central clinic 200 km away. Stockpiled containers close that gap within hours.
Legal bases and authority frameworks
| Act / standard | Application | Delivery |
|---|---|---|
| IfSG | Infection protection, reporting duties | DEMIS connection prepared |
| RiliBÄK | Quality assurance in laboratory medicine | Compliant laboratory environment, QM-ready |
| ZSKG | Stockpiling, Federation–Land assistance | Framework agreement, annual maintenance |
| BBK concepts | Major incidents, mass-casualty events (MANV) | Situation-centre modules, MANV triage |
| TRBA 100 / 120 / 250 | Containment levels 2/3, healthcare | Airlock, Class II cabinet, autoclave |
| DGUV V3 | Electrical installations, mobile deployment | DGUV-compliant, annual inspection |
| GDPR + BDSG | Patient data | Encrypted server cabinet, audit trail |
| DIN 66399 protection class 3 | File and media destruction | On-site shredder, unbroken documentation |
Eight typical public-health and crisis containers
1,000–3,000 tests/day, BSL-2 sample processing, automatic extractor, PCR cycler, DEMIS.
Risk group 3 (SARS-CoV, smallpox, haemorrhagic fevers), negative-pressure cascade, HEPA H14.
Sampling + on-site analysis for NBC substances, dose-rate measurement, argon detector, airlock.
History, information, vaccination, observation, emergency care – high throughput in a pandemic.
Staff room with common operating picture wall, redundant communications BOS radio + satellite, 100 kVA emergency generator.
Mass-casualty incident, triage airlock SK1–SK4, oxygen connection, ECG preparation.
Personnel and material decon to DIN 14555-9, wastewater holding tank, PPE airlock.
BTV, avian influenza, ASF diagnostics on site, to veterinary-authority standard.
Six engineering details for crisis containers
ISO 20 ft / 40 ft containers, sealift-capable
Standardised corner fittings to ISO 1161 for spreaders, lifting frames, twist-locks, rail container wagons, articulated lorries, helicopter underslung loads.
UPS + 100 kVA diesel generator
30 min UPS without interruption, diesel emergency generator with 24–72 hour tank reserve, solar-hybrid option for long field deployments, V2G connection.
−25 / −50 Pa negative pressure
Airlock +5 Pa to the exterior, BSL-3 room −25 Pa to the airlock, autoclaved material/personnel airlock, HEPA H14 dual filtration with bag-in-bag-out.
BOS radio + satellite + 5G
Digital BOS Tetra radio, satellite modem (Iridium/Inmarsat) for off-grid sites, 5G modem for regular situations, emergency telephone with landline backup.
GDPR + BSI standard
Encrypted media, separate server cabinet, unbroken audit-trail recording, automatic backup to a secondary server, two-factor authentication.
Sample flow optimised for high throughput
RFID sample identification, barcode scanners, automatic handover from sampling → processing → analytics → report, closed sample flow without cross-contamination.
Permits for BSL-3 containers: what you need to consider
BSL-3 containers for risk group 3 pathogens (SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, viral haemorrhagic fevers, smallpox virus) require authorisation in Germany under BioStoffV § 15 in conjunction with TRBA 250. The competent body is the Land authority (public health office, Regierungspräsidium) with a technical opinion from the ZKBS secretariat at BVL Berlin. The application comprises: risk assessment to TRBA 250, technical description of the pressure cascade (airlock +5 Pa, BSL-3 room −25 Pa, −50 Pa to the exterior), HEPA H14 dual filtration in supply and extract with bag-in-bag-out, autoclaved material and personnel airlocks, emergency-power backup for ventilation of at least 60 minutes, annual filter integrity testing to ISO 14644-3.
Processing time: 12–20 weeks in Germany, 16–24 weeks in Switzerland (ESV/FOPH), 10–16 weeks in Austria (GTG/BBG). Permit-procedure cost: €5,000–15,000 external advice plus authority fees €500–2,500. In Switzerland the FOPH (BAG) additionally requires an assessment under ESV Art. 22; in Austria BMSGPK checks under GTG § 6. Operation without a valid permit is unlawful – fines of up to €50,000 under IfSG § 73 are documented. The permit must be in place before sample receipt.
Planexus supplies BSL-3 containers with complete authority documentation: ZKBS notification template, technical drawings of the pressure cascade, HEPA filter records, autoclave validation to EN 285, commissioning protocol and a training concept for staff to TRBA 250 annex. For pure BSL-2 pandemic diagnostics (PCR, risk group 2) notification under TRBA 100 is sufficient – processing 4–8 weeks. Authorities require an on-site acceptance by the public health office before release.
ZSKG stockpiling: contract structure, maintenance and relocation times
Under ZSKG § 10 the Federation (BBK) and the Länder stockpile relocatable assets for major incidents. For container laboratories the BBK situation-centre concept recommends stockpiling of at least one BSL-2 diagnostics module per 500,000 inhabitants. Framework-agreement structure: fixed price per module/year (stockpiling + maintenance), call-off within 72 hours, transport by Planexus or an appointed haulier, installation site named by the client. Annual maintenance duties: DGUV V3 electrical installations, instrument calibration (thermocycler, extractor), HEPA filter pre-check, function test of the 100 kVA emergency generator, activated-carbon filter change every 12 months.
Relocation times from Albstadt: northern Germany (Hamburg, Berlin) 24–36 hours by lorry, southern Germany (Munich, Stuttgart) 12–18 hours, western Germany (Frankfurt, Düsseldorf) 8–12 hours, Switzerland (Basel, Zurich, Bern) 6–10 hours, Austria (Vienna, Graz, Linz) 8–14 hours. Special transport with police escort for overwidth (40 ft modules) adds 24–48 hours. CH-53 helicopter relocation: assembly at destination 4 hours, function testing 8–12 hours, full diagnostic operation 12–16 hours after landing.
For public health offices and outstations of the public health service we recommend a site survey before the stockpiling contract: 63 A power connection, water connection, drainage, installation area at least 7 × 3 m per 20 ft module, access for an articulated lorry with turning space. Planexus documents this checklist as an annex to the framework agreement. Stockpiling costs typically sit at €8,000–15,000 per module per year including annual maintenance, DGUV V3 and filter service – well below the cost of a permanently hired interim laboratory in an urban location. PCR capacity of 1,000 tests/day needs a 20 ft module; 3,000 tests/day a 40 ft module or two coupled 20 ft units. Call-off is in writing by e-mail or BOS radio.
For flood situations we supply drinking-water analytics modules to the Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV) and UBA EmV: colony count, heavy metals, pesticides, cyanobacterial toxin. Installation time 48 hours, sampling airlocks under IfSG, result transmission to public health offices via the DEMIS interface. Modules are equipped with mobile sampling kits and a −20 °C cold chain and are prepared and ready for field deployments to the BBK situation-centre concept.
Planexus services for public health & emergency preparedness
Technical laboratory planning
BSL-2/3 engineering, pressure cascade, sample-flow optimisation for 1,000–3,000 PCR tests/day, DEMIS reporting interfaces.
Modular construction & manufacturing
ISO 20/40 ft containers, CBRN airlocks, decontamination modules, BBK situation centre, helicopter lifting frames for CH-53/CH-47.
Logistics & installation
ZSKG stockpiling, 72-hour nationwide relocation, special transport, on-site commissioning with function testing and instrument calibration.
Frequently asked questions on public health & emergency preparedness
What is a CBRN container and who needs it?
CBRN stands for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear. A CBRN container is a relocatable laboratory or decontamination module for incidents involving potentially hazardous substances. Clients: Bundeswehr medical service (rapid medical deployment forces, SMEK), THW (CBRN components of specialist units), BBK (Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance for situation centres), Land authorities (police specialist units, fire brigades with NBC reconnaissance), the public health service for field deployments during outbreaks, international aid organisations for crisis regions. We build CBRN containers with positive- and negative-pressure options, HEPA/activated-carbon filtration, airlocks, decontamination shower, dose-rate measuring stations and autonomous emergency power for 24–72 hours.
How quickly is a diagnostics container operational in a pandemic?
The decisive factor is the degree of stockpiling. At our Albstadt factory we hold a defined number of pandemic-capable BSL-2/BSL-3 diagnostics container modules that can be relocated nationwide within 48–72 hours of a request via special transport. This stockpiling is secured by framework agreements with authorities (BBK, Land health authorities). In an acute deployment: 4 hours on-site assembly and connection to an external generator, a further 8–12 hours of function testing and instrument calibration, then full diagnostic operation. With container stockpiling the competent public health office can add PCR capacity of 1,000–3,000 tests/day in under 96 hours – that is a game-changer in a pandemic.
What does IfSG say about container diagnostics?
The German Infection Protection Act (IfSG, last amended 2023) regulates, among other things, reporting duties for notifiable infectious diseases (§§ 6, 7), investigations by public health offices (§ 25) and official orders for diagnostics (§§ 29–31). The diagnostics themselves must follow good laboratory medical practice – that requires a suitable laboratory environment to RiliBÄK (Guideline of the German Medical Association on quality assurance of laboratory medical investigations) and, for virological diagnostics, typically BSL-2 with a Class II microbiological safety cabinet. Container laboratories meet RiliBÄK + BSL-2 as standard. For risk group 3 pathogens (for example SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, BTV) BSL-3 is required – we supply that too. Connection to the electronic reporting system DEMIS for notification data is possible via standard interfaces.
How does ZSKG stockpiling of container modules work?
The Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance Act (ZSKG) regulates the division of tasks between Federation and Länder in major incidents. The Federation (BBK, THW) stockpiles nationally relocatable assets; the Länder add regional components. For container laboratories that means: a framework agreement with BBK or a Land civil-protection body for a defined number of stockpiled modules at a certified manufacturer (Planexus meets the ZSKG requirements). We hold the modules ready under climate-controlled conditions, carry out annual maintenance (DGUV V3, instrument calibration, filter change), and can transport them to a site named by the client within 24–72 hours. The modules remain the client’s property; stockpiling logistics sit with us.
What mobility do pandemic and CBRN containers have?
20-foot containers (6.06 m × 2.44 m × 2.59 m) are directly sealift-, airlift- and lorry-capable. A standard articulated lorry moves a 20-foot module nationwide in 24–48 hours. 40-foot containers (12.19 m × 2.44 m × 2.59 m) need heavy-goods lorries and possibly a special permit in inner cities. For helicopter relocation (for example inaccessible terrain, islands) we supply containers with ISO-certified lifting frames for CH-53 (Bundeswehr), CH-47 Chinook (Federal Police) or NH-90 SAR. Rail container wagons are also possible (DB Cargo standard). Installation is on a prepared surface (gravel bed with point bearings or an existing asphalt/concrete plateau) – we supply the siting specification as an annex.
What equipment belongs in a mobile diagnostics container?
Standard pandemic module (focus PCR diagnostics): sampling airlock with hand-disinfectant dispenser, sample-receipt bench with RFID sample identification, processing with a Class II microbiological safety cabinet to DIN EN 12469, automatic nucleic-acid extractor (connection preparation for common models), PCR cycler (connection preparation), reporting workstation with link to the DEMIS reporting system, autoclave for waste inactivation, hazardous-substance cabinet, emergency shower, eyewash, fridge and freezer for reagents, 30 min UPS with subsequent changeover to an external generator. Optional: BSL-3 engineering with negative-pressure cascade for risk group 3 pathogens (SARS-CoV family, smallpox, viral haemorrhagic fevers).
Are the containers GDPR-compliant for patient data?
Yes. The GDPR and the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) apply to any processing of personal patient data – independently of the building. We supply containers with the data-protection-relevant measures: physical access restriction with key management or electronic access control, a separate server cabinet with media encryption to BSI standard, privacy screens at reporting workstations, closed file and sample destruction to DIN 66399 protection class 3, unbroken audit-trail recording. The DPIA (data-protection impact assessment) is prepared by the client as controller – we supply the technical data sheets as input documentation.
Emergency-preparedness containers for your authority or aid organisation
Outline the client, deployment scenario and the stockpiling structure you need. We reply within one working day with a ZSKG-capable concept and a framework-agreement proposal.
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