Biological hazards, also known as biohazards, refer to biological substances that pose a
threat to the health of living organisms, primarily that of humans.
This can include medical waste or samples of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can
affect human health.
It can also include substances harmful to other animals.
The term and its associated symbol are generally used as a warning, so that those potentially
exposed to the substances will know to take precautions.
The biohazard symbol was developed in 1966 by Charles Baldwin, an environmental-health
engineer working for the Dow Chemical Company on the containment products.
It is used in the labeling of biological materials that carry a significant health risk, including
viral samples and used hypodermic needles.
In Unicode, the biohazard symbol is U+2623.
Classification Bio hazardous agents are classified for transportation
by UN number: Category A, UN 2814- Infectious substances
affecting humans and animals: An infectious substance in a form capable of causing permanent
disability or life-threatening or fatal disease in otherwise healthy humans or animals when
exposure to it occurs.
Category B, UN 2900- Infectious substances affecting animals only: An infectious substance
that is not in a form generally capable of causing permanent disability of life-threatening
or fatal disease in otherwise healthy humans and animals when exposure to themselves occurs.
Category B, UN 3373- Biological substance transported for diagnostic or investigative
purposes.
Regulated Medical Waste, UN 3291- Waste or reusable material derived from medical treatment
of an animal or human, or from biomedical research, which includes the production and
testing of biological products.
Levels of biohazard
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention categorizes various diseases
in levels of biohazard, Level 1 being minimum risk and Level 4 being extreme risk.
Laboratories and other facilities are categorized as BSL 1-4 or as P1 through P4 for short.
Biohazard Level 1: Bacteria and viruses including Bacillus subtilis, canine hepatitis, Escherichia
coli, varicella, as well as some cell cultures and non-infectious bacteria.
At this level precautions against the biohazardous materials in question are minimal, most likely
involving gloves and some sort of facial protection.
Biohazard Level 2: Bacteria and viruses that cause only mild disease to humans, or are
difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, influenza
A, Lyme disease, salmonella, mumps, measles, scrapie, dengue fever.
"Routine diagnostic work with clinical specimens can be done safely at Biosafety Level 2, using
Biosafety Level 2 practices and procedures.
Research work can be done in a BSL-2 facility, using BSL-3 practices and procedures.
Biohazard Level 3: Bacteria and viruses that can cause severe to fatal disease in humans,
but for which vaccines or other treatments exist, such as anthrax, West Nile virus, Venezuelan
equine encephalitis, SARS virus, tuberculosis, typhus, Rift Valley fever, HIV, Rocky Mountain
spotted fever, yellow fever, and malaria.
Among parasites Plasmodium falciparum, which causes Malaria, and Trypanosoma cruzi, which
causes trypanosomiasis, also come under this level.
Biohazard Level 4: Viruses and bacteria that cause severe to fatal disease in humans, and
for which vaccines or other treatments are not available, such as Bolivian and Argentine
hemorrhagic fevers, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Lassa fever virus, Crimean–Congo
hemorrhagic fever, and other hemorrhagic diseases.
Variola virus is an agent that is worked with at BSL-4 despite the existence of a vaccine.
When dealing with biological hazards at this level the use of a positive pressure personnel
suit, with a segregated air supply, is mandatory.
The entrance and exit of a Level Four biolab will contain multiple showers, a vacuum room,
an ultraviolet light room, autonomous detection system, and other safety precautions designed
to destroy all traces of the biohazard.
Multiple airlocks are employed and are electronically secured to prevent both doors opening at the
same time.
All air and water service going to and coming from a Biosafety Level 4 lab will undergo
similar decontamination procedures to eliminate the possibility of an accidental release.
Symbol The biohazard symbol was developed by the
Dow Chemical Company in 1966 for their containment products.
According to Charles Baldwin, an environmental-health engineer who contributed to its development:
"We wanted something that was memorable but meaningless, so we could educate people as
to what it means."
In an article he wrote for Science in 1967, the symbol was presented as the new standard
for all biological hazards.
The article explained that over 40 symbols were drawn up by Dow artists, and all of the
symbols investigated had to meet a number of criteria:
Striking in form in order to draw immediate attention;
Unique and unambiguous, in order not to be confused with symbols used for other purposes;
Quickly recognizable and easily recalled; Easily stenciled;
Symmetrical, in order to appear identical from all angles of approach;
Acceptable to groups of varying ethnic backgrounds.
The chosen symbol scored the best on nationwide testing for memorability.
The design was first specified in 39 FR 23680 but was dropped in the succeeding amendment.
However, various US states adopted the specification for their state code.
See also Biological agent
Biosafety level Planetary protection and Interplanetary contamination
Public health References
Notes
Bibliography
External links "Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical
Laboratories", official CDC guide.
"Prevention of Biological Hazards", EU-OSHA "Symbol Making", an account of the development
of the symbol in 1966.
"BioSeal Systems", Biosafety level 4 containment.
Biohazard Remediation Compliance Overview