Additionally, all human blood, blood products, unfixed human tissue and certain body fluids should be handled with universal precautions and BSL-2 practices. Universal precautions is the concept of treating all human/primate blood and other body fluids, tissues and cells (including cell lines) as if they were known to be infectious for bloodborne pathogens. Universal precautions include frequent hand washing, no mouth pipetting, no food or drink in the lab and proper disposal of biohazardous/medical waste, as well as the use of engineering controls and personal protective equipment (PPE). Engineering controls include biosafety cabinets, ventilation systems, closed top centrifuge rotors, etc.; these are the primary methods to control exposure. PPE such as gloves, lab coats, and eye protection or face shields must be selected and used as appropriate. All material should be treated as medical waste (see Chapter 9).
Areas subject to Universal Precautions must have appropriate signs posted on doors and equipment; these signs can be obtained from EH&S (650) 723-0448.
Training Requirements
The following training programs must be completed in order to work with materials listed above:
- Biosafety (EHS-1500 or as part of EHS-4875 – Life Sciences Research Laboratory Safety Training)
- Bloodborne pathogens (EHS-1600) and the annual refresher (EHS-1601)
- Exposure Control Plan – Tier III training in conjunction with your PI
See the Stanford University Training Advisor for information on additional required trainings for working in your area.
Practices and Procedures
To minimze potential exposure to pathogens, use a combination of engineering controls, work practice controls and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Engineering Controls
- Use a Biosafety Cabinet when possible for aerosol-generating procedures
- Use additional physical containment devices during procedures with high potential to create aerosols (e.g. centrifugation, blending, homogenization etc.)
- Use a needleless system of engineered sharps
- Use HEPA filtered vacuum lines
Work Practice Controls
- Post biohazard universal precaution signs on doors and equipment
- Limit lab access while work is being conducted
- Properly dispose of biohazardous/medical waste into appropriate waste containers
- Wash hands after completion of work and before leaving lab
- Decontaminate equipment daily following any spill
- Eating, drinking, applying lip balm or contact lenses only permitted in approved non-research areas
- No mouth pipetting
Personal Protective Equipment
- Wear appropriate street clothing - long pants and closed toed shoes
- Wear lab coat, gloves (nitrile or latex), safety glasses (or goggles) and face shield where splash potential exists
Sharps
- Engineered sharps: commonly used sharps (e.g. scalpels, syringes, needles, glass pipets) that have physical attributes or mechanisms that decrease the risk of injury
- Cal/OSHA requires any lab using human or primate blood, blood products, cell lines, tissues or other potentially infectious materials to use needleless systems and/or engineered sharps
- If a PI/supervisor decides that a non-compliant sharp is necessary for a certain procedure, the reason must be documented; additional information can be found in the BBP exposure control plan.
