1. A procedural manual that includes safe work procedures to eliminate or minimize the risks of biohazards must be available to all laboratory personnel.  The manual must be reviewed and approved by the Lakehead University Biosafety Committee at least annually and updated for new biohazardous agents, new procedures as required.

2. All persons who enter the laboratory must receive training with regards to
a. potential hazards associated with their work
b. necessary precautions to prevent exposure to infectious agents
c. necessary precautions to prevent the release of contained material. 
d. emergency response in the event of an unplanned release
Training shall be provided by the principal investigator (in a research laboratory) or the faculty member (in a teaching laboratory).  Competence in safe techniques must be demonstrated before work is allowed with biohazards.  Training must be documented and the records maintained.

3. A protocol for dealing with spills must be available in the laboratory.  All spills, accidents, exposures to infectious materials and losses of containment must be reported immediately to the laboratory supervisor.  Written records of such incidents must be maintained for review by the Lakehead University Biosafety Committee and the results of incident investigations should be used for continuing education.

4. In case of an emergency, call 8911 (Lakehead University Security) and refer to Lakehead University’s Emergency Procedures and Information.

 

5. The laboratory must be kept neat, orderly and clean.  Minimize storage of materials not pertinent to the work.

6. All technical procedures must be performed in a manner that minimizes the creation of aerosols.

7. Doors to laboratories must not be left open (this does not apply to an open area within a laboratory).

8. Oral pipetting is prohibited.

9. Limit the use of needles and other sharp objects.  Caution should be used when handling syringes with needles to avoid auto inoculation and the generation of aerosols during use and disposal.  Needles must not be bent, sheared or recapped.  After use, needles must be promptly placed in a puncture-proof container and be decontaminated, preferably by incineration or autoclaving, prior to disposal.

 

 

10. Eating, drinking, smoking, storing of food or utensils, storing of personal belongings, applying cosmetics, and inserting or removing contact lenses are not permitted in any laboratory work area.   Discourage the wearing of jewelry in the laboratory.

11. Protective laboratory clothing (uniforms, coats, gowns) must be correctly worn by all personnel including visitors, trainees, and others entering or working in the laboratory.  Protective laboratory clothing must not be worn in non-laboratory areas. 
Laboratory clothing should not be stored in the same locker as street clothing.  Contaminated clothing should be bagged for transport and either laundered using chlorine bleach or decontaminated prior to disposal.

12. Suitable footwear with closed toes and heels and preferably non-slip soles must be worn.

13. Long hair must be tied back or restrained.

14. Open wounds, scratches, and grazes should be covered with waterproof dressings.

15. Gloves must be worn for all procedures that might involve direct skin contact with biohazardous material or infected animals.  Rings or hand jewelry which would interfere with glove functioning must be removed before gloving.  Gloves are to be removed carefully when leaving the laboratory and decontaminated with other laboratory wastes before disposal.  Reusable gloves (insulated, chemical resistant, etc.,) may be used only where necessary and must be appropriately disinfected.

16. After handling materials known or suspected to be contaminated, hands must be washed after gloves have been removed and before leaving the laboratory.

17. Eye and face protection must be worn when it is necessary to guard against splashing, flying particles, and harmful light or other electromagnetic radiation.  The wearing of contact lenses is not considered eye protection and is only permitted in the laboratory when other forms of corrective eyewear are not suitable.

18. If you can avoid working alone do so.  Please refer to Lakehead University’s Emergency Procedures and Information.

 

19. Disinfectants effective against the agents in use must be available at all times within the areas where the biohazardous material is handled, stored, and transported.

20. Work surfaces must be cleaned and decontaminated with a suitable disinfectant at the end of the day and after any spill of potentially biohazardous material.  Work surfaces that have become permeable (i.e. cracked, chipped, loose) to biohazardous material must be replaced or repaired. 
21. Contaminated equipment leaving the laboratory for servicing or disposal must be appropriately decontaminated and labeled as such.

22. All contaminated liquid or solid materials must be decontaminated before disposal or reuse.   Contaminated materials that are to be autoclaved or incinerated at a site away from the laboratory must be double-bagged or placed into containers.  Disinfect the outside surface if necessary.

23. Leak-proof containers are to be used for transport of infectious materials within facilities (e.g. between laboratories in the same facility).

24. Efficiency monitoring of autoclaves using biological indicators must be done at least monthly, depending on the frequency of use of the autoclave, and records of the results kept on file.  Record use of the autoclave in log book

25. Infectious materials must never be placed in sinks or floor drains.

26. An effective rodent and insect control program must be maintained.
 
Additional Laboratory Procedures for Containment Level 2

The following are the minimum procedures required for a laboratory that handles biohazardous agents requiring up to containment Level 2.  They are in addition to the general laboratory procedures for Containment Level 1.

 

1. Post hazard warning signs indicating the nature of the hazard (e.g. name of agent or containment level) outside each laboratory.  If the infectious agents require special provisions for entry, this information must be included on the sign.  The name and contact information of the lab supervisor must also be listed.

2. Restrict entry to laboratory staff, animal handlers, maintenance staff, and other persons on official business.  Children under the age of sixteen years should not be permitted in the laboratory.  Pregnant women and immune-compromised persons should be advised of the potential risks.

3. Maintenance workers, service persons and cleaning staff who enter the laboratory must be informed of the potential hazards.  Cleaning staff should clean only the floors.  Laboratory personnel are responsible to maintain the laboratory safe for routine cleaning. 

4. Trained laboratory personnel must accompany trainees.  Visitors must be provided with training, personal protective clothing and equipment and supervision commensurate with their anticipated activities in the laboratory.

5. An emergency plan for handling spills of infectious materials must be developed and be ready for use whenever needed.

 

 

6. Laboratory doors should be self-closing.

7. Employ good microbiological laboratory practices intended to avoid the release of contaminated agents.

8. Class I or Class II biological safety cabinets must be used for any procedures that may produce infectious aerosols and when high concentrations or large volumes of biohazardous material are involved.  Air from the biosafety cabinets may be recirculated to the room only after passage through a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.

 9. Animals or insects that have been experimentally infected must remain in the laboratory or appropriate containment facility.

10. Vacuum lines used for work involving Level 2 agents must be protected from contamination by HEPA filters or equivalent.

 

No additional  procedures

 

 

11. Centrifugation must be carried out in closed containers, which are opened only in the biological safety cabinet described above.

12. Where chemical disinfection procedures are practiced, ensure that effective concentrations and contact times are used.

13. An autoclave must be located in or near the laboratory and operators must be instructed in its use and record keeping requirements.

14. Contaminated glassware must not leave the facility.  Decontaminate using procedures demonstrated to be effective.  If the autoclave is outside the laboratory, contaminated materials must be disinfected chemically or double bagged and transported to the autoclave in durable, leakproof containers that are closed and the outside surfaces treated with an appropriate disinfectant before leaving the laboratory.