Biorisk, Biosafety, and Biosecurity

Study Notes

Biorisk: The risk associated with biological materials in labs, including safety and security components.
Biosafety: Principles, technologies and practices to prevent unintentional exposure to pathogens and toxins.
Biosecurity: Principles, technologies and practices protecting biological materials from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, diversion or release.

Biorisk management involves assessment, mitigation, and performance monitoring.
Steps include identifying risk factors, evaluating risks, determining who can be harmed and how, and recording findings.

Safe handling, storage and disposal of specimens, chemicals, instruments, and radioactive components.
Fire safety.
Electrical safety.

Universal precautions treat all human blood and certain human body fluids as infectious.
Treat patients as if they have potential blood-borne infections.
Universal precautions are designed to protect healthcare workers.
Key elements include hand hygiene, gloves, facial protection, gowns, needle stick prevention, respiratory hygiene, environmental cleaning, disposal of linen, and waste.
High risk infectious materials include blood, semen, vaginal secretions, synovial fluids, and amniotic fluid.

Waste is segregated into general waste, infected plastics, infected waste, glassware, and sharps.
Waste disposal methods vary depending on waste type (e.g., incineration, autoclaving, deep burial, plasma pyrolysis, re-cycler, mutilate sharp pit, secured land filling).