Working with biohazardous materials is not a simple matter and obviously it is necessary to take precautions against a series of risks. Pathogens, viruses and biological toxins can be lethal both for those working in laboratories and for the population, the risk is for the entire community.
In order to avoid such problems it is important to develop an Exposure Control Plan (ECP)
An excellent reference resource for safety is the CDC (Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories).
An Exposure plan must frame different areas of interest, build a staff organization and give specific responsibilities to each one. It is necessary to list all job classifications that are potentially exposed to biological damage material. It is also important to build specific products that all staff must follow to work safely.
Naturally, safety must also include personal protective equipment (PPE), maintenance of the laboratory’s safety equipment (cabinets, eyewash stations etc.) and training for employees, who must be perfectly familiar with the procedures and methods of act in case of danger, possibly to be repeated annually.
It is essential that these procedures are treated in detail as they can make the difference for the safety of everyone, the environment and society.
For more information, we recommend the article “Working with Biohazards” via Labmanager.