Lab safety

• In a clinical or research laboratory, the safety of the laboratory with all its environmental conditions, personnel, equipment, performance, and reporting of test procedures is crucial
• European Community Risk Group Classification for prokaryotes:

  • Biosafety Level 1 (BSL 1): Suitable for work involving agents not known to cause disease in healthy adult humans and of minimal potential hazard to laboratory personnel and the environment
  • Examples: Bacillus subtilis, Naegleria gruberi, Infectious canine hepatitis virus, E. coli
• Biosafety Level 2 (BSL 2): Suitable for work involving agents of moderate potential hazard to personnel and the environment

  • Examples: Bloodborne pathogens, Human body fluids/particularly when visibly contaminated with blood, Measles virus, Salmonellae, Toxoplasma spp., Hepatitis B virus
• Biosafety Level 3 (BSL 3): Facilities include BSL-1 and 2 plus:

  • A biological agent that may cause severe human disease and present a serious hazard to laboratory workers
  • Enclosures for aerosol-generating equipment, respiratory protection may be indicated
  • Examples: Bacillus anthracis, Brucella melitensis, Burkholderia mallei, Chlamydophila psittaci, Coxiella burnetii, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Rickettsia prowazekii
• Biosafety Level 4 (BSL 4): Labs contain the highest level of safety measures to protect those working inside and in adjacent areas, used for work with highly infectious or dangerous microbes

  • Workers go through extensive background checks, entry is very restricted, and special nonbreakable containers are used for working with the microbes