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Asked by anon-231038 to Tom, Bruno Silvester on 14 Nov 2019. This question was also asked by anon-231076.
Question: What kinds of safety regulations do you have to follow when dealing with particularly dangerous bacteria?
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Bruno Silvester Lopes answered on 14 Nov 2019:
Generally use a lab-coat for protection, masks at times, safety glasses as well. In addition to this we have SOPs (standard operating procedures) which we study/obtain training before commencing on a work with dangerous pathogen.
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Tom Snelling answered on 14 Nov 2019: last edited 14 Nov 2019 5:16 pm
I have never used bacteria that harmful. Basic safety includes lab coat, gloves, no earphones or headphones, and washing hands when coming in and out of the lab! We need to properly dispose of bacteria and sterilise everything
Comments
Clio commented on :
Different containment levels are in place for different bacteria. Some just require you to only wear a lab coat and gloves and work carefully (ensuring you don’t spill anything or drink it and wash your hands after). These ones tend to either not cause any infection or cause a minimal infection risk that is treatable with antibiotics etc. For bad bacteria that require containment in a fancy lab (called BSL3 or BSL4) these require you to work in special negative pressure labs. In the UK in a BSL3 lab you would work in a negative pressure lab with your hands in a safety cabinet (often with gaunlets on). No glass or sharps allowed in BSL3 or BSL4. In the US people often wear special containment suits (ones you see in movies) and work very safely to prevent any infection. I worked in BSL3 which required me to have booties on my feet, have a lab buddy outside the lab to make sure I was okay, everything was in double containment, loads of special disinfectants, negative pressure labs. Everything takes much longer to do when you have more safety procedures in place. It’s quite difficult to infect yourself when working in BSL3 or BSL4 as the safety measures are soo high.
Clio commented on :
Often labs will provide you with the appropriate vaccinations prior to working with the bad ones (if one is available) or ensure you are properly checked by medial professionals should something bad occur.