Environmental Conditions Risk Assessment of the Clinical Laboratory
April 14, 2026
11 a.m.–Noon CT
Cost
Free for all participants.
Overview
This webinar will provide an overview of a practical strategy used to support compliance with CAP and CLIA requirements for temperature and humidity control of instruments and equipment used in laboratory testing systems. Participants will review the new CAP COM.30580 humidity checklist requirement, along with related existing standards, and discuss what these requirements mean for clinical laboratories.
The presentation will introduce the Environmental Conditions Risk Assessment (ECRA) tool, a resource designed to help laboratories document acceptable temperature and humidity thresholds, assess the risk associated with environmental excursions, and record mitigation strategies when excursions occur. We will also include a demonstration of the ECRA tool and share examples of instrument and equipment entries from multiple laboratories, offering practical approaches that attendees can adapt for their own compliance and quality programs.
Presenter
Lisa Button
Quality Management Coordinator
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Assistant Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
Learning objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:
- Assess CAP and CLIA standards for environmental conditions in the clinical laboratory.
- Describe methods of determining upper and lower thresholds for temperature and humidity.
- Evaluate potential risks associated with operating laboratory instruments and equipment outside of manufacturer-identified environmental conditions.
- Review an electronic tool designed for laboratories to record environmental thresholds and demonstrate use of the tool.
Intended audience
This webinar is appropriate for laboratory administrators and managers, safety coordinators, quality assurance and control staff, supervisors, and other laboratory personnel who are dedicated to safety, continuous quality, and process improvement.
Credit
The following types of credit are offered for this event:
ASCLS P.A.C.E.®
Mayo Clinic Laboratories is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the Clinical Laboratory Sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® program. This program has been approved for a maximum of 1.0 P.A.C.E.® contact hour.
State of Florida
Mayo Clinic Laboratories is approved as a Continuing Education Accrediting Agency for the Clinical Laboratory Sciences for the State of Florida. Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel has designated this program for Supervisor/Administration, Quality Control/Quality Assurance, and Safety credit. This program has been approved for 1.0 contact hour.
To obtain credit
1. Register for and participate in the program.
2. Complete the evaluation that will be sent to you after the program.
3. Generate and print your certificate(s).
Level of instruction for this program is basic.
Faculty disclosure
Course director(s), planning committee, faculty, and all others who are in a position to control the content of this educational activity are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest related to the subject matter of the educational activity. Safeguards against commercial bias have been put in place. Faculty members also will disclose any off-label and/or investigational use of pharmaceuticals or instruments discussed in their presentations. Disclosure of this information will be published in course materials so those participants in the activity may formulate their own judgments regarding the presentations.
Questions
Contact us: mcleducation@mayo.edu
