How to use this tool
This tabel is taken from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health. Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) 4th Edition. Washington: GPO, May 1999.
| BSL | Agents | Practices | Safety Equipment (Primary Barriers) | Facilities (Secondary Barriers) |
|---|
| BSL | Agents | Practices | Safety Equipment (Primary Barriers) | Facilities (Secondary Barriers) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSL | Agents | Practices | Safety Equipment (Primary Barriers) | Facilities (Secondary Barriers) |
| 1 | Not known to consistently cause disease in healthy adults | Standard Microbiological Practices | None required | Open bench top sink required |
| 2 | Associated with human disease hazard = percutaneous injury, ingestion, mucous membrane exposure | BSL-1 practice plus:
|
Primary barriers = Class I or II BSCs or other physical containment devices used for all manipulations of agents that cause splashes or aerosols of infectious materials; PPEs: laboratory coats; gloves; face protection as needed | BSL-1 plus: Autoclave available |
| 3 | Indigenous or exotic agents with potential for aerosol transmission; disease may have serious or lethal consequences | BSL-2 practice plus:
|
Primary barriers = Class I or II BCSs or other physical containment devices used for all open manipulations of agents; PPEs: protective lab clothing; gloves; respiratory protection as needed | BSL-2 plus:
|
| 4 | Dangerous/exotic agents which pose high risk of lifethreatening disease aerosol-transmitted lab infections; or related agents with unknown risk of transmission | BSL-3 practices plus:
|
Primary barriers = All procedures conducted in Class III BSCs or Class I or II BSCs in combination with full-body air-supplied positive pressure personnel suit | BSL-3 plus:
|
