Containment level L2

Design features and technical characteristics

• The laboratory is physically separated from other activity areas in the same building.
• The access doors into the laboratory are lockable when the corridor or the area has not a restricted access.
• The access doors into the laboratory are provided with an automatic closing system when they directly give access to a public area.
• Furniture is designed to facilitate room cleaning as well as control program for rodents and insects.
• The laboratory has a sink for hand washing and decontamination.
• The personnel have access to a change room for protective clothing. Protective and street clothing cannot be in contact.
• Bench tops are easy to clean, impervious to water and are resistant to acids, alkalis, organic solvents, and those disinfectants and chemicals used for decontamination.

Safety equipment

• If the laboratory has one class II biological safety cabinet, it is installed in order to avoid disturbing airflows equilibrium inside the work area. It is located away from doors, from windows, from room supply and exhaust air louvers, and from heavily travelled laboratory areas.   It is controlled and certified when placed, after each moving and at least once a year.
• If the inactivation of wastes and/or residual biological material is performed through steam sterilization, an autoclave is located in a room nearby the contained area.
• Centrifuges are located in the contained area. If the centrifuges are located outside the contained area, rotors or cups are equiped with a hermetic closing system ("safety cups") to contain aerosols in case of breaking or cracks of tubes.

Work practices and Waste disposal management

• Access to the laboratory is restricted to persons authorized by the responsible person and advised of the potential risks.
• The room access door is labelled with the following information:
  • Biohazard symbol,
  • Containment level,
  • Coordinates of the responsible person for the area
• Protective laboratory clothing is worn. Protective clothing is dedicated to the contained area and is not worn outside.
• Windows remain closed during the experimentation.
• Gloves are available for the personnel.
• Outside manipulations, viable pathogens and/or genetically modified (micro)-organisms are contained within closed systems (tubes, flasks, etc.).
• The creation of splashes and the formation of aerosols are minimized. Their spreading is controlled by the use of appropriate equipment and practices.
• Use of a horizontal airflow cabinet is prohibited for the manipulation of pathogens and/or genetically modified (micro)-organisms.
• Mechanical pipetting devices are used. Mouth pipetting is prohibited.
• Eating, drinking, smoking, handling contact lenses, applying cosmetics, and storing food for human consumption are not permitted in the laboratory.  
• All the manipulated and stored pathogens and/or genetically modified (micro)-organisms are recorded in a register.
• Control measures and control equipment as well as protective equipment are adequately and regularly tested.
• The workers wash their hands when they leave the contained area, before beginning another activity and each time it is proved necessary.
• Work surfaces are decontaminated with an appropriate disinfectant after work is finished and after any spill of biological material.
• Directions for use of disinfectants are available for the personnel. Depending on the purpose, instructions precise the kind of disinfectant to use, its concentration, and contact time.
• Instruction of the personnel on biosafety aspects is organized as well as a follow up and regular updates.
• A biosafety manual is prepared and adopted.   Personnel are advised of special risks they are exposed to and are required to read instructions on work practice. Behaviour in case of accident is clearly posted in the laboratory.
• The biosafety symbol is posted on incubators, refrigerators, freezers, and liquid nitrogenous cryopreservators containing biological material with a class of risk 2 or higher.
• An efficient control program for rodents and insects is in effect.
• Animal spreading in the laboratory is forbidden.
• Management of wastes and/or residual biological material satisfies the following conditions:
  • Contaminated wastes and/or residual biological material and contaminated disposal are inactivated by an appropriate and validated method before disposal, e.g. by autoclaving or incineration. Incineration is performed in an agreed installation. Bags and containers used for infectious waste collect are resistant, sealable, labelled with the biosafety symbol and closed before leaving contained area.
  • Before washing, reuse and/or destruction, contaminated material (glassware, slides, etc.) is inactivated by an appropriate and validated means.