Article published 08/31/17
The contract the University of Iowa holds with the supplier ENV Services expires on August 31, 2017. In March of this year, UI Purchasing issued a request for proposals to multiple BSC and cleanroom services suppliers and worked with various stakeholders to evaluate the resulting proposals. Based on the evaluation, UI Purchasing selected two companies who were awarded contracts to provide BSC and cleanroom services across the UI campus. The two new contracts, effective August 1, 2017, designate Pharma-Lab as the primary supplier and ENV Services as a secondary supplier. Information outlining how the new contracts will affect services to your BSC(s) is provided below. If you have questions regarding the information presented in this article, please send your inquires to bio-cabinet@uiowa.edu
Who will be affected?
All UI faculty and staff who own and/or use biosafety cabinets (BSCs).
When will these changes take place?
Changes detailed herein will be effective beginning August 1, 2017*.
*An exception to this is any service already scheduled by ENV Services for the month of August 2017; those services will be performed under the previous contract and are thus subject to the previous billing and pricing agreements.
Annual Certifications
PIs will continue to receive a reminder when their BSCs are due for annual recertification and an appointment will be scheduled for the certification services. However, these reminders and the accompanying appointment time will come directly from the new supplier, Pharma-Lab. PIs who wish to proceed with the appointment or wish to reschedule must respond to Pharma-Lab directly to confirm the appointment and provide payment information.
Other BSC Services
When a BSC needs services other than an annual certification (i.e. troubleshoot, repair, decontamination‡, etc.), the PI and/or lab staff should contact the primary supplier Pharma-Lab to schedule an appointment. If Pharma-Lab is unable to meet the PI’s servicing needs, the PI and/or lab staff may contact the secondary supplier ENV Services to schedule an appointment.
‡Note: The BSC decontamination method used by the two suppliers is as follows.
- Pharma-Lab uses formaldehyde gas
- ENV Services uses vapor phase hydrogen peroxide
Billing
Payments for BSC services will no longer be processed by EHS. Both vendors will now bill the PI directly for services*.
*An exception to this is any service already scheduled by ENV Services for the month of August 2017; those services will be performed under the previous contract and are thus subject to the previous billing and pricing agreements.
Supplier Contact Information
To contact Pharma-Lab to schedule an appointment, please email Pharma-Lab@outlook.com or call Matthew Volmer at 402-639-3508 or Bernard Harrison at 531-205-3586.
To contact ENV Services to schedule an appointment please email uiowa@envservices.com or call Samantha Sanchez at 800-690-3368. If you attempt to contact Samantha Sanchez and she is out of the office or unavailable at the time of your inquiry, please request Caitlin De Rosier or Serena Alvarado via the same phone number.
SERVICE |
PHARMA-LAB COST |
ENV SERVICES COST* |
| BSC CERTIFICATION | $150.00 | $150.00 |
| CLEAN BENCH CERTIFICATION | $75.00 | $95.00 |
| BSC DECONTAMINATION‡ | $450.00 | $350.00 |
| HOURLY RATE (TROUBLE SHOOTING) |
$90.00 | $95.00 |
| HOURLY RATE (LABOR) | $90.00 | $95.00 |
| EMERGENCY REPAIR HOURLY RATE |
$135.00 | $145.00 |
*An exception to this is any service already scheduled by ENV Services for the month of August 2017; those services will be performed under the previous contract and are thus subject to the previous billing and pricing agreements.
‡Note: The BSC decontamination method used by the two suppliers is as follows.
- Pharma-Lab uses formaldehyde gas
- ENV Services uses vapor phase hydrogen peroxide
Whom do I contact when if I have issues with the suppliers?
If you experience problems with either supplier, please contact UI Purchasing Agent Jeffrey Decker, jeffrey-decker@uiowa.edu