Professional Documents
Culture Documents
RG-1 Agents
Not known to cause disease in healthy/immunocompetent
adult humans
Practices
Standard microbiological practices
Primary Barrier (Safety equipment)
Minimal requirements
Secondary Barrier (Facilities)
Open bench top work
Biosafety Level 2
Builds upon BSL-1
BSL-2 is suitable for work involving agents that pose
moderate hazards to personnel and the environment.
Agents associated with human disease
Treatment for disease available (Antibiotics/Vaccines)
Laboratory personnel have specific training in handling
pathogenic agents
Personnel are supervised by scientists competent in
handling infectious agents and associated procedures
Access to the laboratory is restricted when work is being
conducted
All procedures in which infectious aerosols or splashes
may be created are conducted in biological safety
cabinets (BSCs) or other physical containment
equipment.
Biosafety manual with definitions of needed waste
decontamination or medical surveillance policies
Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2)
In working with BSl-2 agents, th eprimary
hazards to personnel are –
Ingestion of infectious materials
Direct contact or exposure
Accidental Needle sticks or per-cutaneous
exposure by Scratch, Puncture
Potential infection through exposure to
Eyes, Mouth, nose, open cut (Mucus
membrane)
BSL-2 agents do not cause lethal infections,
are not transmissible via airborne route (do
not cause infection if tiny droplets become
airborne and are inhaled, which might occur if
the material were spattered)
Extreme care should be taken with
contaminated needles and sharp lab
instruments when they are contaminated with
agents.
BSL-2 Practices &Procedures
Include BSL-1 plus
Limited access to lab when work
in progress
Daily de-contamination
Mechanical pipetting
Lab coat, safety glasses and
gloves required
Red bag & sharps containers
required
Biohazard warning sign posted at
entrance to lab with contact
information: MANDATORY
Label all equipment (incubators,
freezers, etc.)
TC room – negative air flow
Documented training
Special Entry Procedures:
Baseline serology or pre-
vaccination/Immunizations may
be required
Risk Group 2 Agents
RG-3 Agents
Associated with serious or potentially lethal disease in humans
Practices
BSL-2 plus controlled access.
Primary Barrier (Safety equipment)
Biological Safety Cabinet and personal protective equipment
required similar to BSL-2.
Respiratory equipment if risk of infection through inhalation
Secondary barrier (Facilities): All BSL-2 barriers with
Access through self-closing double doors
Corridors separated from direct access to lab
Single-pass negative directional airflow- Air handling systems
to ensure negative air flow (air flows into the lab)
Air pumped into lab not re-circulated in building
BSL-3
Biosafety Level 3
Biosafety Level 3
Biosafety Level 4
Required for work with dangerous and exotic agents that pose a
high individual risk of life-threatening disease, aerosol transmission
or related agent with unknown risk of transmission.
Agents with a close or identical antigenic relationship to agents
requiring BSL-4 containment must be handled at this level until
sufficient data are obtained either to confirm continued work at this
level, or re-designate the level.
Dangerous/exotic agents
Life threatening disease
No known treatment available
Aerosol transmission/mucous membrane exposure/accidental prick
Agents of unknown risk of transmission or health affects
Laboratory staff must have specific and thorough training in
handling extremely hazardous infectious agents.
Laboratory staff must understand the primary and secondary
containment functions of standard and special practices,
containment equipment, and laboratory design characteristics.
All laboratory staff and supervisors must be competent in handling
agents and procedures requiring BSL-4 containment.
Access to the laboratory is controlled by the laboratory supervisor
in accordance with institutional policies
Biosafety Level-4: Working in High Containment
Maximum containment facilities
Builds on BSL-3/ ABSL-3 practices
Standard practices include BSL-3 plus:
strictly controlled access to the laboratory;
changing clothing before entering and exiting lab
(showering upon exiting recommended-Chemical
decontamination showers)
decontaminating all material exiting facility (Liquid
effluent collection / decontamination)
Personnel must receive specialized training in
handling extremely dangerous infectious agents,
containment equipment and functions
Immunocompromised persons are never allowed to
enter the lab
Two types of laboratory providing absolute separation
of the worker from the infectious agents
Suit Laboratory
Cabinet Laboratory
Pressurized Containment Suite
BSL-3 + Class III Biosafety Cabinet
BSL-4: High Safety Animal Disease Laboratory,
Bhopal, IVRI
Risk Group 4 agents
RG-4 Agents
Associated with high risk of life-threatening disease in
humans and/or animals
Practices
BSL-3 plus controlled access
Primary Barrier (Safety equipment)
Biological Safety Cabinet
Full-body air-supplied, positive pressure personnel suit
Secondary Barrier (Facilities)- BSL-3 plus
dedicated air and exhaust,
decontamination procedures for exit,
separate building
a recommended absence of windows (or sealed and
resistant to breakage)
Biosafety Level 4
CDC/NIH Guidelines
Biosafety Levels
(www.cdc.gov)
BSL-1
BSL-3
Lower Risk
BSL-2
Higher Risk
Animal Biosafety Level-4: Working in High Containment
Biosafety Level Summary
Risk Groups and Biosafety Levels
Applications
Any application where the product is not hazardous but must be
kept contaminant free
Preparation of non-hazardous intravenous mixtures and media
Particulate free assembly of sterile equipment and electronic
devices
Applications
– Housing centrifuges, fermenters
– Cage dumping in an animal lab
– Aerating cultures that potentially generate aerosols
Class I BSCs
Sink
Eyewash
Pre-disinfect
spray or swab all interior surfaces with appropriate disinfectant
allow to air dry
Assemble material
introduce only material required to perform procedure
place material such that clean and contaminated items do not
meet
place contaminated material container at right rear
ensure view screen is properly located and secured
Pre-purge cabinet
allow air purge period with no activity inside (leave blower on!)
Post-purge cabinet
allow air purge period with no activity inside (leave blower
on!)
Finish personally
remove protective clothing, mask, and wash hands
Post-disinfect
don gloves, remove materials to incubator, to biohazard
bag, autoclave as appropriate, spray or swab all interior
surfaces with appropriate disinfectant
Shutdown cabinet
turn off blower and fluorescent lamp, turn on UV lamp
Safe Work Practices for BSC Use
Thanks
National Sanitation Foundation
American National Standards Institute