TOPIC 6

US Biological Weapons Program

Laboratory safety traces its history from what program?

Class 3 Safety Cabinets and Lamilar Flows

The use of these materials during the US biological weapons program was evident and was the foundation of laboratory safety practices.

Mechanical Pipettors and Ventilated Cabinets

Outside of the US, these where used that lead to the foundation of laboratory safety.

1974

In this year, the CDC published the Classification of Etiological Agents on the Basis of Hazard.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

In 1974, who published the Classification of Etiological Agents on the Basis of Hazard?

National Institute of Health (NIH)

They published the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules.

NIH Guideline for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules

What did NIH publish?

CDC and NIH

They jointly published the Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories in 1984.

Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories

What did CDC and NIH jointly published?

1984

What year did the CDC and NIH jointly published the Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories?

Biosafety Officers

They emerged to adopt administrative roles.

Biosafety

Is the containment principles, technologies, and practices that are implemented to prevent unintentional exposure to pathogens and toxins, or their accidental release.

Biosafety

Refers to the protection, control, and accountability for valuable biological materials within laboratories, in order to prevent their unauthorized access, loss, theft, misuse, diversion, or unintentional release.

Charles Baldwin

Who created the biohazard symbol?

Biohazard Symbol

What did Charles Baldwin create?

1966

What year did Charles Baldwin create the Biohazard Symbol?

Biohazard Symbol

It should be prominently displayed on laboratory doors and in any equipment that contain infectious materials.

Risk Group 1

Includes microorganisms that are unlikely to cause human or animal disease.

Risk Group 1

Microorganisms that are low individual and community risk.

Risk Group 2

Includes microorganisms that are unlikely to be a significant risk to laboratory workers and the community, livestock or the environment.

Risk Group 2

Laboratory exposure may cause infection, but effective treatment & preventive measures are available.

Risk Group 2

Microorganisms have moderate individual and limited community risk.

Risk Group 3

Includes microorganisms that are known to cause serious diseases to humans or animals.

Risk Group 3

May present a significant risk to laboratory workers.

Risk Group 3

High individual & limited to moderate community risk.

Risk Group 4

Includes microorganisms that are known to produce life-threatening diseases to humans or animals.

Risk Group 4

Present a significant risk to laboratory workers.

Risk Group 4

Readily transmissible; effective treatment & preventive measures are usually not available.

Risk Group 4

High individual & community risk.

Risk Group 1

Agents that are not associated with disease in healthy adult humans.

Risk Group 2

Agents that are associated with human disease, which is rarely serious, and for which preventive or therapeutic interventions are often available.

Risk Group 3

Agents that are associated with serious or lethal human disease for which preventive or therapeutic interventions may be available (high individual risk but low community risk).

Risk Group 4

Agents that are likely to cause serious or lethal human disease for which preventive or therapeutic interventions are not usually available (high individual risk and high community risk).

Biosafety Level 1

Suitable for work involving agents that have no known potential for infecting healthy people.

Biosafety Level 1

This containment level is used in laboratory activities of students (for academic purposes).

Bacillus subtilis and Naegleria gruberi

Provide 2 examples of Biosafety Level 1 pathogens.

Biosafety Level 2

Basically designed for laboratories that deal with agents acquired by ingestion or exposure to percutaneous or mucous membrane.

Biosafety Level 2

Includes all the common agents of infectious diseases.

Biosafety Level 2

In handling these agents, access to the laboratory is limited.

Biosafety Level 2

It also requires the personnel to change their clothes with the recommended laboratory clothing before going to their specific stations.

Biosafety Level 2

The personnel should also receive immunizations.

Biosafety Level 3

Puts emphasis on primary and secondary barriers in the protection of the personnel, community and environment from infectious aerosol exposure.

Biosafety Level 3

In processing these lethal pathogens, the air movement in the laboratory must be controlled to contain the infectious materials.

Biosafety Level 4

Is required for work with dangerous and exotic agents that pose high individual risk of life- threatening diseases that may be transmitted via the aerosol route, for which there are no available vaccines or treatment.

Biosafety Level 4

Specific practices, safety equipment and appropriate facility design & construction are required.

Biosafety Level 4

Employs a Class III biosafety cabinet or in a full-body, air-supplied positive-pressure personnel suit.

Biological Safety Cabinet

A device that encloses a working area to protect workers from aerosol exposure and infectious disease agents.

Biological Safety Cabinet

The air containing the infectious material is sterilized, either by heat, UV light, or by passage through a high efficacy particulate air (HEPA) resistance filter.

Class I Biosafety Cabinet

It is an open-fronted type of cabinet with negative pressure (ventilated cabinets).

Class I Biosafety Cabinet

Unfiltered room air enters through the front (open face) and does not pass through a HEPA filter before reaching the work surface.

Class I Biosafety Cabinet

The exhaust air, however, does pass through a HEPA filter, protecting the environment.

Class I Biosafety Cabinet

It is used for working with biosafety levels (BSL) 2 and 3 agents.

Class II Type A2 Biosafety Cabinet

The most commonly used biosafety cabinet in clinical microbiology laboratories.

Class II Biosafety Cabinet

It provides protection to the personnel, product, and environment by using HEPA-filtered vertical laminar airflow over the work surface and HEPA-filtered exhaust air.

Class II Biosafety Cabinet

Suitable for handling BSL-2 and BSL-3 agents.

Class III Biosafety Cabinet

A gas-tight, totally enclosed cabinet that provides the highest level of protection for the worker, product, and environment.

Class III Biosafety Cabinet

Air entering the cabinet is passed through HEPA filters to prevent contamination of materials. Exhaust air is also HEPA-filtered (often through two HEPA filters in series) or incinerated.

Class III Biosafety Cabinet

All materials are manipulated through attached rubber gloves (hence the term "glove box").

Class III Biosafety Cabinet

Used for handling biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) pathogens, including those that are highly infectious, lethal, and for which no vaccine or treatment exists.

Glove Box

Class III Biosafety Cabinet is also known as?

OSHA’s Pathogen Regulation

Refers primarily to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030).

OSHA’s Pathogen Regulation

This regulation is designed to protect workers from health hazards related to exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) in the workplace.

OSHA’s Pathogen Regulation

To reduce occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens (BBPs), including:
HIV, HBV, and HCV

Exposure Control Plan

Employers must develop a written plan updated annually to eliminate or minimize employee exposure.

Universal Precaution

Treat all human blood and certain body fluids as infectious.

Engineering Controls

Use physical equipment (e.g., sharps containers, self-sheathing needles) to isolate/remove hazards.

Work Practice Controls

Change how tasks are performed (e.g., no two-handed recapping of needles).

Personal Protective Equipment

Employers must provide appropriate gloves, gowns, face shields, masks, etc.

Hepatitis B Vaccination

Must be offered free of charge to at-risk employees within 10 days of assignment.

Post-Exposure Evaluation

Employers must provide immediate medical evaluation and follow-up for exposed workers.

Training

Employees must receive annual training on BBP risks and protection strategies.

Recordkeeping

Maintain medical and training records in compliance with OSHA standards.