The ORCBS - Biological Safety - Programs & Guidelines

The Biosafety Level 3 Laboratory: Standard Microbiological Practices

The following standard microbiological practices must be used in the BSL-3 lab:

Controlled access
The lab supervisor must ensure that access to the laboratory is controlled. When procedures are in progress the lab door should be shut and when no one is present in the lab the doors should be locked. Anyone requesting access to the laboratory should be questioned as to their purpose and identification should be provided.

Handwashing
Hands must be washed with soap and water after handling potentially infectious materials. Hands should be washed before leaving the laboratory and before touching common use surfaces (i.e, computers, telephones, etc.).

Eating, drinking, handling contact lenses and applying cosmetics
Eating, drinking, contact lens handling and cosmetic application must be done outside of the laboratory. Food and beverages for human consumption must be stored outside of the laboratory area in refrigerators or cabinets designated for that purpose.

Pipetting
Mechanical pipetting devices must be available and used. Mouth pipetting is prohibited.

Safe sharps practices
All policies regarding the safe use of sharps must be followed. See the following section of this manual for additional information: Recommended Work Practices- Sharps.

Minimize splashes and aerosols
Essentially all laboratory procedures involve steps which create aerosols. All procedures should be completed in a manner which minimizes the creation of both splashes and aerosols. This can be done by using centrifuges with safety features (i.e., sealed cups and rotors), mechanical pipetting devices, conducting work inside of a biological safety cabinet, etc.

Decontaminate work surfaces
Work surfaces must be decontaminated after work is finished and after a spill of potentially hazardous materials. Appropriate disinfectant should be used.

Proper decontamination and transport of waste
All cultures, stocks, and other biohazardous materials must be decontaminated before disposal. If you will be transporting waste out of the laboratory (e.g., down the hall, to another floor of the building, etc.) to be decontaminated you must ensure that the waste is placed in a leak-proof container and is secured. Please refer to the following section of this manual: Biohazardous Waste , and the MSU Biohazardous Waste Management Plan for additional information regarding to the proper decontamination of biohazardous waste.

Door signage
All laboratory doors must have an "Admittance to Authorized Personnel Only" label. This label contains appropriate contact information for general and emergency entrance to the lab. Additionally, the lab entrance must be labeled with Biosafety Level 3 door sign. Both of these labels should be obtained from the ORCBS.

Pest management program
A pest management program is managed through the Office of Environmental Compliance. They should be contacted at the first sign of a problem.

Training
In addition to the completion of ORCBS required training courses, the principal investigator must ensure that all lab personnel receive site-specific training. This training should include information specific to their job duties, precautions to prevent exposures, and exposure response procedures. In addition, lab personnel should be given information about immune competence and conditions that could predispose them to infection, as appropriate.