What Is a Biohazard?

According to the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), biohazards are infectious agents, materials or wastes that, when exposure occurs, pose imminent health and safety risks to humans, animals and the environment. Biohazards must always be labeled accordingly to protect the safety of others.

Types

• UCLA describes biohazardous materials as being certain types of recombinant DNA, infectious viruses, bacteria, fungi and agents that are biologically active, such as venoms and toxins.

Significance

• Oregon State University explains that bloodborne pathogens cause the greatest safety and health risk for biohazards. The exchange of bodily fluids, such as blood or urine, can result in a biohazard contamination if bacteria, viruses and other germs are spread from one host to another.

Warning

• When handling or working near biohazards, it is imperative to practice extreme caution. Spilled blood that is labeled as a biohazard, for instance, must not be cleaned up by hand, but rather by the use of tools that allow workers to maintain their distance from the blood. According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), biohazards and rooms that contain biohazards, must be labeled with the universal biohazard symbol.