Biosafety Zoning & Access Control
How physical space maps to containment grade: the GCL zoning of the Complex, the airlocks and pressure cascades that separate grades, the PPE gateways and decon stations that condition people, and the badge/biometric tiers that decide who passes.
Zoning Principle
The Complex is zoned so that containment grade rises monotonically as one moves inward and downward toward the GCL-4 Bio-Vault. Air always flows from clean to dirty — never the reverse — enforced by a graded negative-pressure cascade. Personnel always gown up moving in and decon moving out. There is no path from the public Atrium to a lethal cultivar that does not cross at least three airlocks, two PPE gateways, and a rising sequence of badge, biometric, and DNA-key controls. This page is the physical companion to the procedural controls in VC-SOP — GCL-4 Containment.
Containment Telemetry
Zone-to-GCL Mapping
Each physical zone carries a containment grade and a corresponding pressure offset relative to the occupied corridor datum (0 Pa). Negative offsets mean air flows into the zone and is exhausted through filtration — the signature of a containment space.
| Zone | GCL Grade | Pressure vs datum | Boundary Type | Exhaust Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z9 Staff Quarters | Non-grade | +10 Pa (clean) | Standard partition | Recirculating, filtered |
| Z1 Atrium / Z7 Command / Z8 Hangar | GCL-1 | 0 Pa (datum) | Badge boundary | Recirculating + fresh-air |
| Z3 Greenhouse (GCL-1 grids) | GCL-1 | 0 Pa | Zone partition + badge | Recirculating, HEPA on return |
| Z3 Greenhouse (Grid F forcing) | GCL-2 | −15 Pa | Sealed zone, anteroom | Single-pass HEPA exhaust |
| Z5 Phyto-Synthesis Bay | GCL-3 | −35 Pa | Mantrap airlock | HEPA + solvent-rated scrubber |
| Z5 reactor cells / Z2 Bio-Vault | GCL-4 | −60 Pa | 2-stage mantrap + PPE gateway | 2N HEPA + activated-charcoal, no recirc |
Pressure Cascade — Bio-Vault (Z2)
The GCL-4 Bio-Vault is protected by a four-stage cascade. A person entering passes through progressively more negative spaces; air leaks from the cleaner side toward the dirtier side at every door, so any momentary seal failure pulls inward, toward containment, not outward. The cascade is held by 2N fan trains on the Essential Bus with 30-minute UPS, per VC-FAC-0200.
Corridor Datum
Clean-side approach corridor, badge + biometric to reach the cascade vestibule.
Anteroom / Gown
First mantrap door. Don PPE gateway suite. Interlocked: outer door must reseal before inner unlocks.
Airlock
DNA-key + 2-person confirmation. Air-shower on entry. Decon on exit.
Vault Floor
GCL-4 working space. Containment spheres, Venus Sentinel handling. No recirculated air.
PPE Gateways & Decon Stations
People are conditioned at every grade transition. Donning is enforced on entry by a PPE gateway (a sensor-gated vestibule that will not release the inner door until required protection is detected as worn); doffing and decontamination are enforced on exit by a decon station.
| Grade Entered | PPE Gateway Requirement | Decon on Exit | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|
| GCL-1 | Lab coat, closed footwear | Hand hygiene station | Visual |
| GCL-2 (Grid F) | Tyvek suit, gloves, N95 | Glove/boot wash, gown drop | Anteroom sensor gate |
| GCL-3 (Phyto-Synth) | Splash suit, double-glove, PAPR, solvent boots | Chemical shower + doffing protocol | Air-shower + checklist |
| GCL-4 (Bio-Vault) | Positive-pressure encapsulating suit, air-line, double DNA-tagged gloves | 3-stage chemical decon + suit integrity check + air-shower | Buddy verify + biometric log + cycle record |
- Decon stations: 6 total — 1 per GCL-2 anteroom (×2), 2 at the Phyto-Synth Bay, 2 at the Bio-Vault cascade.
- Effluent: all decon effluent is captured to a bunded kill-tank, chemically neutralized, and assayed before release to the reclaim loop.
- Emergency egress: a one-way emergency decon-shower egress exists at each GCL-4 boundary; using it triggers an automatic Tier-3 alarm and breach-protocol review.
Access Matrix — Zone vs Clearance Tier
Access is granted at the lowest clearance tier that satisfies the zone's grade and the person's role. ● = permitted; ◐ = permitted with escort / two-person rule; ✕ = denied. Tiers are issued and revoked by Human Resources and enforced physically by Security & Access Control (FAC-SEC).
| Zone ↓ / Tier → | T1 General | T2 Trades/Cultivation | T3 Command | T4 GCL-3 | T5 GCL-4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z9 Staff Quarters | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Z1 Atrium / Archive | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Z3 Greenhouse GCL-1 | ◐ | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Z4 Hydro Plant | ✕ | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Z8 Drone Hangar | ✕ | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Z3 Greenhouse GCL-2 (Grid F) | ✕ | ◐ | ● | ● | ● |
| Z7 Command Deck | ✕ | ✕ | ● | ● | ● |
| Z5 Phyto-Synth GCL-3 | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ● | ● |
| Z5/Z2 GCL-4 (reactor / Bio-Vault) | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ◐ |
Badge & Biometric Access Tiers
| Tier | Credential Factors | Typical Holder | Issued By |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 General | RFID badge | Admin, curatorial, visitors (escorted) | HR |
| T2 Trades/Cultivation | Badge + zone PIN | Cultivar techs, hydro/plant trades | HR + FAC-SEC |
| T3 Command | Badge + biometric (palm vein) | Watch crew, Directorate, BMS ops | FAC-SEC |
| T4 GCL-3 | Badge + biometric + medical clearance | Phyto-Synth chemists, containment officers | FAC-SEC + HR medical |
| T5 GCL-4 | Badge + biometric + DNA-key + 2-person + CBO authorization | Named Bio-Vault personnel only | CBO direct authorization |