Safety Equipment for Biological Safety / Biosafety Level 2 - BSL 2

1. Properly maintained biological safety cabinets, preferably Class II, or other appropriate personal protective equipment or physical containment devices are used whenever:
   
   (i). Procedures with a potential for creating infectious aerosols or splashes are conducted. These may include centrifuging, grinding, blending, vigorous shaking or mixing, sonic disruption, opening containers of infectious materials in which internal pressure may differ from ambient pressure, inoculating animals intranasally, and harvesting infected tissues from animals or eggs.
   
   (ii). High concentrations or large volumes of infectious agents are used. Such materials may be centrifuged in the open laboratory if sealed rotor heads or centrifuge safety cups are used and if these rotors or safety cups are opened only in a biological safety cabinet.
   
   
2. Face protection (goggles, mask, face shield, or other splatter guards) is used for anticipated splashes or sprays of infectious or other hazardous materials to the face when the microorganisms must be manipulated outside the biological safety cabinet.
   
   
3. Protective laboratory coats, gowns, smocks, or uniforms designated for lab use are worn in the laboratory. This protective clothing is removed and left in the laboratory before lab personnel leave for nonlaboratory areas (e.g., cafeteria, library, or offices). All protective clothing is either disposed of in the laboratory or sent to the laundry service (only after being decontaminated). It is never taken home.
   
   
4. Lab personnel wear gloves when handling infected animals and when hands may come in contact with infectious materials or contaminated surfaces or equipment. Wearing two pairs of gloves may be appropriate; if a spill or splatter occurs, the hand will be protected after the contaminated glove is removed. Gloves are disposed of when contaminated, removed when work with infectious materials is completed, and not worn outside the laboratory. Disposable gloves are not washed or reused.