One use of the concept ofbiocontainment is related tolaboratory biosafety and pertains tomicrobiology laboratories in which the physical containment ofpathogenic organisms or agents (bacteria,viruses, andtoxins) is required, usually by isolation in environmentally and biologically secure cabinets or rooms, to prevent accidental infection of workers or release into the surrounding community during scientific research.
Another use of the term relates to facilities for the study of agricultural pathogens, where it is used similarly to the term "biosafety", relating to safety practices and procedures used to prevent unintended infection of plants or animals or the release of high-consequence pathogenic agents into the environment (air, soil, or water).
TheWorld Health Organization's 2006 publication,Biorisk management: Laboratory biosecurity guidance, defines laboratory biosafety as "the containment principles, technologies and practices that are implemented to prevent the unintentional exposure to pathogens and toxins, or their accidental release". It definesbiorisk management as "the analysis of ways and development of strategies to minimize the likelihood of the occurrence of biorisks".[1]
The term "biocontainment" is related to laboratory biosafety.[2][3]Merriam-Webster's online dictionary reports the first use of the term in 1966, defined as "the containment of extremely pathogenic organisms (such as viruses) usually by isolation in secure facilities to prevent their accidental release especially during research".[4]
The term laboratory biosafety refers to the measures taken "to reduce the risk of accidental release of or exposure to infectious disease agents", whereas laboratory biosecurity is usually taken to mean "a set of systems and practices employed in legitimate bioscience facilities to reduce the risk that dangerous biological agents will be stolen and used maliciously".[5]
Primary containment is the first container in direct contact with biohazardous material[6] as well as protection of personnel and the immediate laboratory environment from exposure to infectious agents. Primary containment requires using proper storage containers, good microbiological technique, and the use of appropriate safety equipment such as biological safety cabinets.
Secondary containment is the protection of the environment external to the laboratory from exposure to infectious materials and is provided by a combination of facility design and operational practices.
Biological safety cabinets (BSC), first commercially available in 1950,[7] are fairly common devices designed to provide effective primary biocontainment in laboratories working with highly infectious agents. Three general levels and types have been devised (Class I, Class II, and Class III).
Biosafety suites are suites of laboratory rooms which are essentially equivalent to large Class III cabinets in whichpositive pressure personnel suits ("space suits") serve as the "outside" environment for workers. Examples include the biosafety suites atUSAMRIID atFort Detrick, Maryland, USA and theMaximum Containment Facility (MCF) of theCDC inAtlanta, Georgia, USA.
The term “biocontainment” is used differently in facilities for the study of human pathogens versus those used for the study of agricultural pathogens. In agricultural facilities, the definition for “biocontainment” resembles that for “biosafety,” i.e., the safety practices and procedures used to prevent unintended infection of plants or animals or the release of high-consequence pathogenic agents into the environment (air, soil, or water). In the agricultural setting, worker protection and public health are always considerations; however, emphasis is placed on reducing the risk that agents under study could escape into the environment.
A "biosafety level" (BSL) is the level of the biocontainment precautions required to isolate dangerousbiological agents in an enclosed laboratory facility. The levels of containment range from the lowest biosafety level 1 (BSL-1) to the highest at level 4 (BSL-4). In the United States, theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have specified these levels.[8] In theEuropean Union, the same biosafety levels are defined in adirective.[9]
Today, guiding publications for biosafety and containment in the US are set by theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and theNational Institutes of Health (NIH).[10] Since 1984, the CDC and the NIH have jointly authored theBiosafety in Microbiological and Medical Laboratories (BMBL). TheBMBL is an advisory document providing national recommendations forBiosafety Levels, Containment,Decontamination andDisinfection, Transportation, and Disposal of biohazardous agents.[10]
In Canada the government publication "Laboratory biosafety guidelines" was current between 1990 and 2013,[11][12] and has been superseded by the "Canadian Biosafety Standards and Guidelines".[13][14]
OECD Best Practice Guidelines for Biological Resource Centres is a consensus report created in 2001 after experts fromOECD countries came together, calling upon "national governments to undertake actions to bring the BRC concept into being in concert with the international scientific community". BRCs are "repositories and providers of high-quality biological materials and information".[15]
Components of a laboratory biosecurity program include:[5]
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