Working with Biohazards

Working with human pathogens or biohazards poses serious risks, not only for employees, but for the public and communities as well. Infectious agents such as microorganisms, viruses, recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules, and biological toxins present a potential for severe or lethal disease, adverse health effects, or contamination. Any unplanned exposure or release has the potential to cause extensive harm or damage to people, the environment, and society.

Vince McLeod has written an interesting article for Laboratory Manager. Here is an extract:

“The foundation for safe handling and research with infectious/biohazardous agents is an effective exposure control plan (ECP). This article discusses the basic elements of a comprehensive exposure control plan, what each element should address, and advice for successful implementation.

The ECP is essentially a biohazard safety manual developed to address the unique conditions of the current research, facility design, and personnel operations necessary to carry out the laboratory’s mission. One excellent free reference is the CDC’s Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories1 (BMBL), which contains comprehensive information on biological risk assessment and summary statements on many common infectious agents.”

To access the article, see: https://www.labmanager.com/lab-health-and-safety/2018/05/working-with-biohazards

Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle, Pharmaceutical Microbiology