Biohazards are substances that can harm humans, animals, or the environment. They include:
- Recombinant DNA
- Infectious organisms and viruses (like parasites, bacteria, fungi, prions, and viroids)
- Biologically active agents (like toxins, allergens, and venoms)
- Human blood and blood products due to possibility that they may carry infectious agents (bloodborne pathogens)
Infectious agents are microorganisms that cause disease in humans, animals, or plants and are considered biohazardous. However, not all biohazards are infectious agents. For example, viral vectors, which are typically unable to replicate, would not be considered infectious but still pose a risk to individuals and are considered biohazards.
Anyone working in a laboratory must complete OSHA Laboratory Safety Training. If the laboratory contains biological or biohazardous materials, individuals must also complete Biosafety Training. Other safety training, such as respiratory protection or BSL3 training, may be needed based on the agents being used.
An Exposure Control Plan will need to be completed and submitted to Environmental Health and Safety for work with any biohazard. In addition, the following may be needed depending on the type of research:
- Research with recombinant or synthetic nucleic acids will need to be submitted for review by the Institutional Biosafety Committee
- Work requiring containment in the Biosafety Level (BSL) 3 Laboratory will need to be submitted and reviewed by the BSL3 Advisory Committee.
An exposure is contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials through skin, eyes, mucous membrane or broken skin. In the event of an exposure:
- Wash with soap and water for 15 minutes (rinse for 15 minutes if its an eye exposure)
- Seek medical treatment: go to University Health and Counseling during normal hours or go to University Hospitals ER after hours.
- Notify your PI and EHS and then complete an Injury report.
Your research will need to be reviewed by the IBC if it falls within the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules. With few exceptions, if your introducing foreign DNA/RNA into either bacteria or mammalian cells, your work will need to be reviewed by the IBC.
If your experiments involve introduction of recombinant DNA/RNA into animals, either directly or indirectly then your work will require IBC review.
Personnel receive lab specific training and supervision for handling pathogenic agents.
Laboratory access is restricted when work is being conducted.
Procedures that create infectious aerosols or splashes are done in biological safety cabinets or other physical containment equipment.
Agent appropriate disinfectants are used. Waste is disposed of as biohazardous waste.
A sink is available and hands are washed when PPE is removed and when leaving the lab.
Nitrile gloves, lab coat and eye protection when conducting procedures that have the potential to create splashes/sprays of hazardous materials.
When high concentrations or large volumes of infectious agents are centrifuged, sealed rotors or centrifuge safety cups should be used, and both loaded and unloaded in a biosafety cabinet.
A disinfectant known to be effective for the agents in use should be selected. Consideration should be given for more resistant agents (such as prions, spore forming bacteria, or non-enveloped viruses) as well as the contact time needed to inactivate the agent.
Products listed on the EPA Tuberculocidal Products list are going to be sufficient for most labs at CWRU.
BSL2+ indicates enhanced safety measures beyond BSL2.
- A dedicated room with negative air flow and a sink is required.
- All work must be done within a biosafety cabinet (BSC) and equipment such as incubators and centrifuges must be inside the room. Sealed rotors or safety cups must be used in centrifuges, and loaded and unloaded in the BSC.
- PPE may vary but usually consists of a disposable fluid-resistant gown, 2 pairs of disposable gloves, eye protection.
Yes, each entrance to your lab must have a lab entrance caution sign which includes a biohazard symbol, the agents used in the lab, and emergency contact information. All equipment where biohazards are used or stored should be labeled with a biohazard label.
If your lab works with Biohazards or requires a USDA permit or you work in an open-concept laboratory and your neighboring lab works with biohazards you will need biosafety training.
Any lab working with a biohazard will require an Exposure Control Plan, additionally, any lab requiring a USDA permit will also need to have an ECP.