Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3)
BSL-3 laboratories are designed to be easily decontaminated.
As an additional safety measure, these laboratories must use controlled, or “directional,” air flow to ensure that air flows from non-laboratory areas (such as the hallway) into laboratory areas..
Scientists use biosafety labs to study contagious materials safely and effectively.
These state-of-the-art labs are designed not only to protect researchers from contamination, but also to prevent microorganisms from entering the environment..
Laboratory biosafety practices are based on the principle of containment of biological agents to prevent exposure to laboratory workers and the outside environment.
Primary containment protects the laboratory workers and the immediate laboratory environment from exposure to biological agents..
A biosafety program implements actions to identify biological hazards, evaluate the level of health-related risks the biological hazard presents to humans, agriculture (such as livestock and crops), wildlife, and the environment, and identify ways to reduce the health-related risks associated with the biological hazard .
The university requires that all individuals that work in a laboratory are adequately informed about the chemical, physical, and health hazards present in the laboratory, the known risks, and what to do if an accident occurs.
Proper approaches to disinfection and decontamination are important for the protection of lab personnel and for the preventi.
In the lab, a sharp refers to any object that is contaminated with a biologically hazardous agent and is sharp enough to puncture the skin without excessive applied pressure of force.
While needles and scalpels could be considered the most apparent objects in this category, other items may also meet this definition.
Some examples include:.
1) Broken.
In 2012, the CDC estimated approximately 80% of laboratory acquired infections are caused by aerosols of pathogenic microorganisms.
Laboratory personnel who work with agents infectious to humans must ask themselves: 1) Am I working with concentrated stocks? 2) Will my procedures concentrate the risk group 2 pathogens (e.g., high-speed centrifugatio.
The centrifuge is a commonly used tool in laboratory research.
It uses centrifugal force to separate substances in liquid or solid media according to particle size and density differences.
Centrifugation may present two serious hazards: mechanical failure and dispersion of aerosols.
Therefore, training on how to use the centrifuge properly and safe.
Eyewashes are required for labs operating a BSL-2, though they are often found in BSL-1 labs as well.
Eyewashes must be maintained in good working order and flushed according to the EHS requirements for general lab hygiene, generally weekly.
The eyewash is in place for your protection.
Weekly flushes keep sediment and bacteria from accumulating in .
Besides direct contact with contaminated fluids, infectious agents may also be transmitted by fomites.
Fomites are inanimate objects or materials that are likely to harbor and spread infectious agents through contact.
Examples include: equipment, utensils, doorknobs, keyboards, furniture, PPE, and cell phones.
Practices to minimize fomite transmiss.
One of the simplest measures you can take to protect yourself (and others) inside and outside of the laboratory is washing your hands.
This simple procedure has been thoroughly demonstrated to be the primary means of infection and contamination control in laboratory and clinical settings.
In other words, hand washing is extremely important in preve.
• Precautions to be taken by people researching or trying to identify organisms • Labs must adhere to these specific safety regulations • A biosafety level is the level of the bio containment precautions, required to undertake while handling dangerous biological agents in an enclosed facility 18.
