Biosafety Containment Levels

Overview

BSLPracticesPrimary Barriers and Safety EquipmentFacilities (Secondary Barriers)
1

Stabdard Microbiological Practices

  • Biosafety manual
Primary barriers not generally required. PPE as needed; lab coats, gloves. etc.Laboratory bench and sink required
2

BSL-1 practices plus:

  • Limited access
  • Biohazard warning signs
  • Sharps precautions
  • Biosafety manual defining any needed waste decontamination or medical surveillance policies

Primary barriers:

  • BSCs or other physical containment devices used for all manipulations of agents that cause splashes or aerosols of infectious materials
  • PPE: Lab coats; gloves; face and eye protection, as needed

BSL-1 facility plus:

  • Autoclave available

As discussed in the Basic Biosafety section, each progressively higher level of containment builds on the lower level of containment by adding additional minimal practices, primary barriers and safety equipment, and facility design features.

Standard Microbiological Practices are discussed in detail in the Biosafety 101 online training module. These practices must also be observed when working in a BSL-2 laboratory. The Advanced Biosafety checklist items focus on the following special practices prescribed for BSL-2 laboratories:

  • Hazard Awareness
  • Protection of vacuum systems
  • No unrelated animals or plants

Other special practices and equipment considerations at BSL-2 involve biosafety cabinet use (covered in the Ventilated Cabinets section), disposal of sharps contaminated with biohazardous materials (covered in the Lab and Engineering Controls section) and the use of an autoclave for waste decontamination (covered in Basic Biosafety Section)

Lab Safety & Compliance Survey Companion Guide