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University of Kerbala/ College of Medicine Department of Microbiology

Unit 2/ Lab 1

1^st year, 2024-2025

م.م. ختام خالص عنفوص

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Basic Principles of Lab. Biosafety

Learning objectives

• The student will be familiar with the basics of lab biosafety.
• Understand the advantages of biosafety.
• Recognize the classification concept of Biosafety level.
• Identify most important hazards signs.

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Lab Biosafety

• Refers to the use of specific practices, safety equipments and specially designed buildings to ensure that the workers, the community and the environment are protected from accidental exposure of infectious agents, toxins, chemicals, radioactive agents and other hazardous factors.

Rules inside lab.

1. Do not eat, drink or smoke inside the lab.
2. Keep work areas clean and use disinfectants.
3. Always wash your hands and keep it away from your face and don’t use the phone.
4. Discard all cell cultures, Plates and Swabs into special container after sterilizing them by autoclave.

Personal Protective Equipment

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Biomedical Wastes Disposal

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Biosafety signs

• In order to:
• Prevent Accidents.
• Notify personnel about potential hazards so they can be prepared.
• Remind personnel about their duty and tasks.
• Indicate the location of specific materials for quick and easy access.
• Notify the intended purpose of objects/areas.

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1. Warning Signs:

1.1. General warning:

Presence of possible hazardous

Materials/Environment.

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1. Warning Signs:

1.2. Health hazard:

Presence of chemical, Physical or Biological factors with potential hazards on health.

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2. Biological Hazard Signs:

The CDC sets biosafety levels (BSL1,2,3,4) to indicate what specific controls a laboratory must have in place for the containment of microbes and biological agents based on:

1. Severity of Infection (Non or Mild, Moderate, Severe).
2. Transmissibility (Difficult, Moderate, High).
3. Potential Hazards (Minimum, Moderate, High, Very High)
4. Treatment and Preventive measures (availability of Treatments and Vaccines)

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2.1. Biosafety level-1 (BSL-1):

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• Organisms do not cause disease but are capable of causing infection.
• Difficult transmission.
• Minimum potential hazards to personnel and environment.
• Have effective treatment.
• Escherichia coli.

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2.2. Biosafety level-2 (BSL-2):

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• Organisms are capable of causing mild infection.
• Difficult transmission.
• Moderate potential hazards to personnel and environment.
• Have effective treatment/ Preventive measures.
• Enterobacteriaceae spp.

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2.3. Biosafety level-3 (BSL-3):

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• Organisms are capable of causing severe infection.
• Moderate transmission.
• high potential hazards to personnel and environment.
• Have some effective treatment/ Preventive measures.
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

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2.3. Biosafety level-4 (BSL-4):

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• Organisms are capable of causing serious infection.
• highly transmission.
• Very high potential hazards to personnel and environment.
• Have no effective treatment/ Preventive measures.
• Ebola virus.

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3. Chemical hazard Signs:

3.1. Poisonous Materials:

Presence of toxic materials.

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Chlorine, Lead.

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3. Chemical hazard Signs:

3.2. Carcinogens:

Presence of cancer causing material .

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Formaldehyde, Vinyl chloride.

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3. Chemical hazard Signs:

3.3. Corrosives:

Presence of material that can causes localized reaction.

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Sulfuric acid, Sodium hydroxide.

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3. Chemical hazard Signs:

3.4. Irritants:

Presence of material that can causes damage to the eye, Skin or Respiratory tract manifest as (Redness, Rashes, Inflammation, Coughing or hemorrhage).

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Nickle chloride, Chromic acid.

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4. Physical hazard Signs:

4.1. High Voltage:

Supply of high voltage electricity.

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4. Physical hazard Signs:

4.2. Cryogenic :

Low temperature materials.

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Liquid nitrogen, Solid Carbon dioxide (Dry ice)

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4. Physical hazard Signs:

4.3. Flammable :

Presence of material that can be easily burn.

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Alcohol, Gasoline.

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4. Physical hazard Signs:

4.4. Explosives :

Presence of material that can be easily exploded or self reactive.

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Nitric acid.

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4. Physical hazard Signs:

4.5. Ionizing Radiation :

Presence of material that can emits ionizing radiation or the presence of electromagnetic waves that can ionize an atom. (Gamma ray, X-ray)

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4. Physical hazard Signs:

4.6. Non-Ionizing Radiation :

Presence of electromagnetic waves that can not emits ionizing radiation.

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Visible light, Microwaves.

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Thank you