Curriculum
Biosafety, PPE, spills, sharps, waste, fire and access [L-09]
Start here
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Course pre-test
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Part I — Biosafety levels and risk groups
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Part II — PPE for laboratory staff
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Part III — Spill management
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Part IV — Sharps, waste disposal, fire, and access
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Course post-test
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Resources
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Capstone & certificate
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Text lesson
Chapter 1 · Biosafety levels and risk groups
Biological agents are classified into four risk groups (RG1–RG4) based on their ability to cause disease and availability of treatment. Most clinical laboratories work at Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2), handling RG2 agents such as hepatitis B virus, HIV, and Salmonella. BSL-2 requires: handwashing facilities, biohazard signage, restricted access, PPE (gloves, gown, eye protection), and biosafety cabinets for aerosol-generating procedures.
Chapter 1 · Practical example
Risk group classification — matching safety measures to the actual risk
Biosafety controls must be proportionate to the risk group of the organisms or samples being handled. Over-engineering safety wastes resources; under-engineering endangers staff.
▲ The situation
A laboratory is setting up processing procedures for respiratory samples to be tested for influenza A and B by PCR. The section head is deciding what containment level to specify.
Reference: WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual; ISO 15189:2022 Clause 6.3
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Good practice The section head reviews the risk assessment: influenza A and B are Risk Group 2 organisms. Open manipulation of respiratory samples requires a Class II biosafety cabinet. Inactivation of samples prior to PCR extraction eliminates infectious risk for downstream steps. The SOP specifies: Class II BSC for receipt and initial processing; standard laboratory safety measures after inactivation. This is proportionate to the risk.
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Poor practice The section head specifies Level 3 containment measures for all steps including post-inactivation PCR, because influenza can cause severe disease. This requires respirator use in a fully pressurised negative-pressure suite. Staff find the equipment difficult to work in, compliance deteriorates, and a spillage occurs when a scientist struggles to manipulate samples in unfamiliar equipment. Over-specification created a new hazard.
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● What this means for your practice
Risk group classification drives safety requirements. Over-specifying containment does not make work safer — it creates compliance problems and can introduce new hazards. Base safety measures on the actual risk assessment, not on the worst-case scenario.