1 / 12

Biosafety Challenges

A Rational and Attainable Approach to Successfully Implementing Biosafety in Laboratory Settings Worldwide. Anticipating Biosecurity Challenges of the Global Expansion of High Containment Biological Laboratories Istanbul, Turkey 11-13 July 2011 Barbara Johnson PhD, RBP

said
Download Presentation

Biosafety Challenges

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. A Rational and Attainable Approach to Successfully Implementing Biosafety in Laboratory Settings Worldwide. Anticipating Biosecurity Challenges of the Global Expansion of High Containment Biological Laboratories Istanbul, Turkey 11-13 July 2011 Barbara Johnson PhD, RBP Biosafety Biosecurity International

  2. Biosafety Challenges • Lack of funding • Lack of reliable/maintained infrastructure • Lack of containment equipment • Supply shortages/delayed shipments • Lack of training • Other? Regardless of these challenges the public health, medical, and R&D mission continues.

  3. BSL-3 Practices Enhance Safety • Training and proficiency: good practices prevent exposure • Control access to the lab: limit people in lab during work • Reducing community spread: designated lab over-clothes stay in the lab; should be decontaminated & laundered by the institute

  4. BSL-3 Practices Enhance Safety • Autoclave availability and power: Can we flame loops outside the BSC and place them in a sterile can in the BSC • Sharps cause many lab injuries: Puncture-proof containers near point ofuse ;alternatives to commercial containers • Waste decontamination options: autoclave, chemical, burn • Reducing spill hazard: reusable/sealable container for within-room and room-to-room transport

  5. Primary Containment Considerations • BSC: cost, space & power bumps are a reality. • Q: Is it infectious via the aerosol route??? • risk appropriate PPE (respirator/mask, face shield/goggles/gloves)... respirator reuse? • cleaning surfaces and equipment • can a ‘fan box’ (inward airflow, no HEPA) be vented to outside, pilot ongoing in Africa • flexible film isolators for higher aerosol hazards

  6. Adapting BSL-3 Design Features • Gas decontamination v surface wipe down for rooms and spaces with i.e. bleach • Directional airflow: place wall mounted exhaust fan at end of hall or inside the ‘lab with greatest hazards’ • Single-pass air or recirculate air from BSL-3??? • Air is not recirculated to lower containment levels- assess the risk (can it be HEPA filtered?) • WHO LBM and CDC/NIH BMBL

  7. Adapting BSL-3 Design Features • Air changes/hr • 10-12 was based on labs w/volatile chemicals • new minimum = 6 ACH for BSL-3 labs (could be less -depends on heat load, activities, is specific to the lab) • Night, weekend, holiday: decrease the conditioning of the air/lights to reduce expense • the lab really should not be ‘turned off’ – overheating, mold, condensation

  8. Adapting BSL-3 Design Features • N+1 systems: are they needed/which are needed • Systems and parts- local manufacture and installers; expertise is nearby, spares are available • Turnkey container labs: identify mission needs • a clean room with lots of HEPAs = $$ and overkill • HEPAs need to be annually certified • can exhaust air be vented away from public spaces and supply inlets (no re-entrainment)

  9. Adapting Construction

  10. Adapting Construction

  11. Practices / Protocols Facilities Equipment No “Only One Correct Way”... Biosafety is about risk assessment and planning: • prioritize the goals & needs • achieve it by balancing the available tools to reduce risk • plan ahead for accident, illness or injury

  12. Thank You Barbara Johnson, PhD, RBP 703-444-5028 barbara_johnson@verizon.net

More Related