Biological Hazard Safety

Disease-causing or other infectious agents (e.g., bacteria) or other biological materials that could pose a risk to human health (or that of animals) are considered biological hazards. Biohazardous materials such as bacteria could replicate in the environment if not treated and disposed of properly, so the risk from these agents could be much greater than the risk from chemically hazardous materials.

Researcher Responsibility

• A researcher should identify any potential biological hazards associated with his research, obtain the appropriate permits to work with these materials, establish and vigilantly follow biohazard protocols and train all lab personnel to do the same. All personnel should handle any biological materials (e.g., blood, tissue samples) as potentially biohazardous, even if they know of no reason for danger. Researchers should sterilize potentially biohazardous materials in an autoclave before they package these materials as biohazardous waste for transport to an incineration facility.

Laboratory Protocols

• Researchers or lab managers should establish laboratory protocols for handling and disposing of each type of biohazardous agent involved in research, and should make these protocols readily available to lab personnel and inspectors. When writing laboratory protocols for a research study, scientists should describe in detail the personal protective equipment (PPE) needed and the appropriate conditions for handling and disposal. Lastly, they should establish detailed protocols for dealing with accidental spills and other incidents and provide all of the relevant contact information for responders.

Safety Equipment

• Different biologically hazardous materials require vastly different safety equipment, including PPE. All materials require some standard PPE--safety goggles, laboratory coat and latex or nitrile gloves. Researchers may only handle some agents in a ventilated hood and may require a respirator (and special respirator training) to handle others. Researchers must list these requirements in the laboratory protocols and ensure that all personnel involved in a project are trained in the appropriate handling and disposal methods.

Facility Design

• Engineers and researchers must work together to design research facilities dealing with potentially biohazardous materials. Generally, they will equip each lab with a ventilation hood, which serves as the primary containment barrier. Inspectors must test the hood annually to ensure proper air flow. The lab itself forms a secondary containment barrier between the biohazardous materials and the rest of the facility. Researchers must also evaluate the design and security of lab doors and ventilation systems, ensuring that they are appropriate for the specific materials involved.

Warning

• Lab personnel must report all accidents to lab managers and the appropriate authorities (if necessary) or other emergency responders immediately. Lab personnel must always sterilize biologically hazardous (or potentially hazardous) materials in an autoclave before they allow these materials to leave the laboratory--even materials destined for incineration.