MICROBIOLOGICAL

RISK ASSESSMENT
IN THE
LABORATORY
 OBJECTIVES
• Identify and apply the process of risk assessment
to the laboratory environment
• Understand and apply biosafety principles and
practices as they apply to risk assessment
• Describe the use of safety equipment to reduce
exposure risks to personnel and the environment

2
National Institutes
of Health
 MICROBIOLOGICAL RISK
ASSESSMENT
• Risk is the probability of an adverse effect as a
result of exposure to a hazardous substance
• Risk is a function of hazard and exposure
• Risk assessment is a process to identify
safeguards for preventing laboratory-associated
infections

3
National Institutes
of Health
 MICROBIOLOGICAL RISK
ASSESSMENT
• Adverse effect is a laboratory-associated
infection
• Hazardous substance is an infective
microorganism
• Exposure is contact with an infective
microorganism that escaped containment

4
National Institutes
of Health
MICROBIOLOGICAL RISK
DEFINITION

Risk is the probability of a lab-

associated infection as a result of
contact with an infective
microorganism that might escape
containment

5
National Institutes
of Health
HAZARDOUS CHARACTERISTICS OF
AN INFECTIVE MICROORGANISM

• Pathogenicity
• Virulence
• Transmission
• Infectious dose

6
National Institutes
of Health
HAZARDOUS CHARACTERISTICS OF
AN INFECTIVE MICROORGANISM

• Pathogenicity - the ability to cause disease

• Virulence - agent factors that determine
disease severity

7
National Institutes
of Health
 PATHOGENICITY / VIRULENCE
• Adhesion Factors
• Fimbriae
• Pili
• Invasive enzymes
• Collagenase (C. perfringens)
• Hemolysin (S. pyogenes)
• Capsules
• Toxins
• Exotoxin (Diphtheria)
• Endotoxin (LPS)

8
National Institutes
of Health
 OTHER PATHOGEN FEATURES
• Strain variability
• Wildtype, attenuated, vaccine
• Ex., E.coli 0157:H7 vs K12
BCG vs M. tb
• Susceptibility / resistance to drugs
• MDR TB
• Environmental Stability
• Vegetative or spore
• Genetic Modification

9
National Institutes
of Health
 MODES OF TRANSMISSION

▪ Aerosol
• Dissemination of microbial aerosols
to a suitable portal of entry (< 5u)
▪ Injection
• Direct transmission through cuts,
sticks, open skin
▪ Ingestion
• Hand to mouth transmission
▪ Indirect contact
• Vehicle carried (inanimate objects
contaminated with agent); hand to
mouth, nose, or eyes
10
National Institutes
of Health
 INFECTIOUS DOSE (ID)

• The approximate number of organisms

required to cause infection in a host
• The lower the ID, the more hazardous the
agent
• Example, M. tuberculosis:
• ID: 10 organisms (inhalation)

11
National Institutes
of Health
 EXPOSURE FACTORS IN THE
MICROBIOLOGICAL LABORATORY
• Laboratory techniques, equipment and animals
• Volume and concentration of agent preparations
• Aerosols
• Host susceptibility
• Preventive and treatment measures

12
National Institutes
of Health
LIMITED INFORMATION ON AGENT OR
SPECIMEN

• Assess available medical or epidemiological

data
• Identify region or country of agent or
specimen origin
• Consider BSL-2 as minimum precautions

13
National Institutes
of Health
 TRAINING
• Assess level of staff training
• Assess skill level - Proficiency in microbiological
practices
• Assess staff understanding of agent hazardous
characteristics
• Include students and visiting staff in training
programmes

14
National Institutes
of Health
 SAFETY EQUIPMENT

• Types and quantity of safety equipment

• Number and types of safety cabinets or fume
hoods
• Availability of personal protective equipment
• Other containment devices

15
National Institutes
of Health
 SAFETY EQUIPMENT: SPLASH
PROTECTION

1
3
2

16
National Institutes
of Health
 SAFETY EQUIPMENT: RESPIRATORY
PROTECTION

1
3
2
17
National Institutes
of Health
SUMMARY: FACTORS INVOLVED IN
MICROBIOLOGICAL RISK
ASSESSMENT
Preventive/
Treatment
Measures

Risk

18
National Institutes
of Health
CONCLUSION: BIOSAFETY
ASSESSMENT

Risk
Risk Assessment
Group
BSL
Determination

SOPs Training

19
National Institutes
of Health
 CONCLUSION

• Carefully conducted risk assessments can enable

lab directors to develop appropriate
containment, SOPs, and training programs
• Employer and employee share responsibility for
safety
• Risk assessments should be performed on a
regular basis
• All staff must be fully trained

20
National Institutes
of Health