Safety measures in laboratories where pathogenic micro-organisms were handled were firstly implemented in North America and the United Kingdom at the beginning of the 1970s..
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..
Biosecurity is the process employed for ensuring biological agents are properly safeguarded against theft, loss, diversion, unauthorized access or use/release.
Biosafety is those processes that ensure that operations with such agents are conducted in a safe, secure and reliable manner..
Hand washing after handling biologicals and potentially hazardous materials, after taking off gloves and before leaving the lab.
Avoiding hand-to-face (or mouth) contact.
No eating, drinking, smoking, or applying cosmetics in the lab.
Disinfecting work surfaces daily and decontaminating after spills..
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..
The use of biosafety practices and principles to reduce the health-related risks associated with handling infectious agents, toxins and other biological hazards is important in a laboratory setting..
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.
BSCs use HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters to filter infectious particles from an airstream.
BSCs may be used at BSL-1 to maintain an environment of sterility that is not achieved on the open bench.
At BSL-2, the BSC is relied upon to protect the worker and the environment from procedures that are likely to generate aerosols.
However, .
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.
The foundation of each biosafety level is standard microbiological practices (SMP).
BSL-1 labs employ SMP as the baseline criteria for biological safety & containment.
Subsequent BSLs build upon SMP with more specialized design, equipment, and practices.
