Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
procedures, containment equipment, and facility require-
ments of ABSL-2.
ABSL-3 requires that: (1) access to the animal facility
is restricted; (2) personnel must have specific training in
animal facility procedures, the handling of infected
animals, and the manipulation of potentially lethal agents;
(3) personnel must be supervised by individuals with
adequate knowledge of potential hazards, microbiological
agents, animal manipulations, and husbandry procedures;
and (4) procedures involving the manipulation of infec-
tious materials, or where aerosols or splashes may be
created, must be conducted in BSCs or by use of other
physical containment equipment. Appropriate personal
protective equipment must be utilized to reduce exposure
to infectious agents, animals, and contaminated equip-
ment. Employee occupational health programs must be
implemented. The following standard and special safety
practices, safety equipment, and facility requirements
apply to ABSL-3:
chemicals. Flooring is seamless, sealed resilient or
poured floors, with integral cove bases. Decontami-
nation of an entire animal room should be considered
when there has been gross contamination of the space,
significant changes in usage, for major renovations, or
maintenance shut downs. Selection of the appropriate
materials and methods used to decontaminate the
animal room must be based on the risk assessment.
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 clean-
ing. Furniture should be minimized. Chairs used in
animal areas must be covered with a nonporous
material that can be easily cleaned and decontami-
nated. 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, all
windows must 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 to the facility should be provided in accor-
dance 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. This system creates direc-
tional airflowwhich draws air into the animal room from
“clean” areas and toward “contaminated” areas.
Ventilation system design should consider the heat and
high moisture load produced during the cleaning of
animal rooms and the cage wash process. Filtration
and other treatments of the exhaust air may not be
required, but should be considered based on-site
requirements, specific agent manipulations and use
conditions. The exhaust must be dispersed away from
occupied areas and air intakes, or the exhaust must be
HEPA-filtered. Personnel must verify that the direction
of the airflow (into the animal areas) is proper. It is
recommended that a visual monitoring device that
indicates directional inward airflow be provided at the
animal room entry. The ABSL-3 animal facility shall
be designed such that under failure conditions the
airflow will not be reversed. Audible alarms should be
considered to notify personnel of ventilation and
HVAC system failure.
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.
Entry into the containment area is via a double-door
entry which constitutes an anteroom/airlock and
a change room. Showers may be considered based on
risk assessment. An additional double-door access
anteroom or double-doored autoclave may be provided
for movement of supplies and wastes into and out of
the facility.
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. The sink should be hands-free or auto-
matically operated. If the animal facility has multiple
segregated areas where infectious materials and/or
animals are housed or are 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, decontamination,
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, proper cleaning, and decon-
tamination. Walls, floors, and ceilings should form
a sealed and sanitizable surface. Floors must be slip
resistant,
7.
Internal facility appurtenances, such as light fixtures,
air ducts, and utility pipes, are arranged to minimize
horizontal surface areas,
impervious to liquids, and resistant
to
to facilitate cleaning and
