This document discusses biosafety and biosecurity when working with infectious agents in a laboratory setting. It defines biosafety as safety precautions that reduce risk of exposure and contamination. There are four biosafety levels depending on the agent, with level 4 being the most restrictive for dangerous pathogens with no treatment. Key equipment for containment includes biosafety cabinets, which use HEPA filters to circulate air and prevent exposure, with various types for different risk levels. Proper use and certification of this equipment is important for protecting laboratory workers and the public.

1. Assist. Prof. Dr. Majed H. Mohammed
Ph.D. Virology and Molecular Cell Biology
Scientific Research Center

2. What is biosafety and
biosecurity
Why we need
Levels of biosafety
Biosafety cabinet types

4. • Bacteria
• Viruses
• Fungi
• Human blood,
unfixed tissue
• Human cell lines
• Recombinant
DNA
BIOSAFETY: Preventing
lab-acquired infections

5. Biosafety is the application of safety
precautions that reduce a
laboratorians risk of exposure to a
potentially infectious material and
limit contamination of the work
environment and ultimately the
community { CDC }

6. Why we need
biosafety ????
1. Lab has hazards of
processing infectious
agents
2. Accidental threat to
workers and
environment
3. To have adherence with
safety regulations while
dealing with highly
infectious agents

12. • BL1 - microorganisms
that don’t consistently
cause disease in
healthy adults
• E. coli
• Basic laboratory
• Standard
Microbiological
Practices
Levels of Containment
12

14. • Agents associated with
human disease
• Agents associated
with human disease
• Agents include measles
virus, Salmonella
species, pathogenic
Toxoplasma, Clostridium
botulinum, hepatitis B
virus
Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2)

16. • BL3 - microorganisms
that cause serious
disease, transmitted
by inhalation
• M. tuberculosis,
yellow fever virus,
hantavirus,
Levels of Containment
16

18. • BL4 - microorganisms
that cause lethal
disease, with no
known treatment or
vaccine
Ebola virus,
Marburg virus
Maximum
containment lab;
positive pressure
ventilated suits
(moon suits)
Levels of Containment
18

20. BSL 4

22. WORKING SAFELY IN A BSC
Before using the cabinet:
 Ensure BSC is certified
 Turn off UV lamp; turn on fluorescent lamp
 Disinfect work surfaces with appropriate disinfectant
 Place essential items inside cabinet
 Allow the blower to run for 5-10 min before work

23. After using the cabinet:
 Leave blower on at least 5 minutes to purge cabinet
 Remove and decontaminate equipment and materials
 Disinfect cabinet surfaces
 Turn off blower and fluorescent lamp, turn on UV lamp
WORKING SAFELY IN A BSC

24. Introduction
• Biosafety cabinets (BSCs) are primary means of
containment, developed for working safely with
infectious micro-organisms

25. • HEPA – High efficiency particulate air filter
• It removes the most penetrating particle size
(MPPS) of 0.3 μm with an efficiency of at
least 99.97 %

26. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HEPA

27. Class II BSC
• Class II Type A1
Class II BSC
27

29. THANK YOU!
ANY QUESTIONS?