Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Animal Biosafety Level 2 Criteria
1.
The animal facility is separated from areas that are
open to unrestricted personnel traffic within the
building. External facility doors are self-closing and
self-locking. Access to the animal facility is restricted.
Doors to areas where infectious materials and/or
animals are housed, open inward, are self-closing, are
kept closed when experimental animals are present,
and should never be propped open. Doors to cubicles
inside an animal room may open outward or slide
horizontally or vertically.
2.
A hand washing sink is located at the exit of the areas
where infectious materials and/or animals are housed
or are manipulated. Additional sinks for hand washing
should be located in other appropriate locations within
the facility. If the animal facility has segregated areas
where infectious materials and/or animals are housed
or manipulated, a sink must also be available for hand
washing at the exit from each segregated area. Sink
traps are filled with water, and/or appropriate liquid to
prevent the migration of vermin and gases.
3.
The animal facility is designed, constructed, and
maintained to facilitate cleaning and housekeeping.
The interior surfaces (walls, floors and ceilings) are
water resistant. Penetrations in floors, walls and
ceiling surfaces are sealed, to include openings around
ducts, doors, and door frames, to facilitate pest control
and proper cleaning. Floors must be slip resistant,
impervious to liquids, and resistant to chemicals.
4.
Cabinets and bench tops must be impervious to water
and resistant to heat, organic solvents, acids, alkalis,
and other chemicals. Spaces between benches, cabi-
nets, and equipment should be accessible for cleaning.
Furniture should be minimized. Chairs used in animal
areas must be covered with a nonporous material that
can be easily cleaned and decontaminated. Furniture
must be capable of supporting anticipated loads and
uses. Sharp edges and corners should be avoided.
5.
External windows are not recommended; if present,
windows should be sealed and must be resistant to
breakage. The presence of windows may impact
facility security and therefore should be assessed by
security personnel.
6.
Ventilation should be provided in accordance with the
Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The
direction of airflow into the animal facility is inward;
animal rooms should maintain inward directional
airflow compared to adjoining hallways. A ducted
exhaust air ventilation system is provided. Exhaust air is
discharged to the outside without being recirculated to
other rooms. Ventilation system design should consider
the heat and high moisture load produced during the
cleaning of animal rooms and the cage wash process.
7.
Internal facility appurtenances, such as light fixtures,
air ducts, and utility pipes, are arranged to minimize
horizontal surface areas, to facilitate cleaning and
minimize the accumulation of debris or fomites.
8.
Floor drains must be maintained and filled with water,
and/or appropriate disinfectant to prevent the migra-
tion of vermin and gases.
9.
Cages should be autoclaved or otherwise decontami-
nated prior to washing. Any mechanical cage washer
should have a final rinse temperature of at least 180
F.
The cage wash area should be designed to accommo-
date the use of high pressure spray systems, humidity,
strong chemical disinfectants and 180
F water
temperatures, during the cage/equipment cleaning
process.
10.
Illumination is adequate for all activities, avoiding
reflections and glare that could impede vision.
11.
If BSCs are present, they must be installed so that
fluctuations of the room air supply and exhaust do not
interfere with proper operations. BSCs should be
located away from doors, heavily traveled laboratory
areas, and other possible airflow disruptions. HEPA-
filtered exhaust air from a Class II BSC can be safely
re-circulated back into the laboratory environment if
the cabinet is tested and certified at least annually and
operated according to manufacturer's recommenda-
tions. BSCs can also be connected to the laboratory
exhaust system by either a thimble (canopy) connec-
tion or a direct (hard) connection. Provisions to assure
proper safety cabinet performance and air system
operation must be verified. Correct performance of the
BSCs should be recertified at least once a year. All
BSCs should be used according to manufacturer's
recommendation, to protect the worker and avoid
creating a hazardous environment
from volatile
chemical and gases.
12.
If vacuum service (i.e. central or local) is provided,
each service connection should be fitted with liquid
disinfectant traps and an in-line HEPA filter, placed as
near as practicable to each use point or service cock.
Filters are installed to permit in-place decontamination
and replacement. An autoclave should be considered
in the animal facility to facilitate decontamination of
infectious materials and waste. Emergency eyewash
and shower are readily available; location is deter-
mined by risk assessment.
Animal Biosafety Level 3 Criteria
Animal Biosafety Level 3 involves practices suitable for
work with laboratory animals infected with indigenous or
exotic agents, agents that present a potential for aerosol
transmission, and agents causing serious or potentially
lethal disease. ABSL-3 builds upon the standard practices,
