Action level: means a concentration designated in 29 CFR part 1910 (OSHA regulations) for a specific substance, calculated as an eight (8)-hour time-weighted average which initiates certain required activities such as exposure monitoring and medical surveillance.
Acutely Toxic Chemical: An acutely toxic substance meets the ANSI Z129.1 definition for high toxicity. In practice, this means having a rat oral LD50 of 50 mg/kg or less. In addition, microbial toxins with LD50 of 50 mg/kg or less are considered acutely toxic. MSDS's use the following keywords to designate an acutely toxic substance:
- Extremely toxic
Highly toxic
Very toxic
Active tuberculosis: The presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection with a positive chest X-ray. Treatment of active tuberculosis is mandatory by law in the US. A person with active pulmonary tuberculosis can spread the disease by coughing and/or sneezing.
Acute exposure: Contact with a substance that occurs once or for only a short time (up to 14 days [for humans]).
Acute Hazardous Waste: Waste that is considered to present a substantial hazard whether managed properly or not. EPA includes in this category waste shown to be fatal to humans in low doses, those shown in animal studies to have specific toxicities, and explosives. Acute hazardous waste is identified in this table by the P listed codes (i.e. P001, P002, ...). Small Quatity generators are only allowed to generate less than 1 kg per month of P listed (acutely hazardous) waste.
Acutely Toxic Substances: Substances in this category meet the ANSI Z129.1 standard definition for high toxicity; due to the paucity of data for inhalation and dermal toxicity, in practice this means having a rat LD50 of 50 mg/kg or less. In addition, microbial toxins with an LD50 less than 50 mg/kg are considered an acutely toxic substance. Also, Material Safety Data Sheets generally employ the following keywords to designate an acutely toxic substance: "Extremely toxic", "Highly toxic" and "Very toxic".
Aerosol: A system consisting of particles, solid, or liquid, suspended in air.
Aerosols: Aerosols or fine particles are tiny particles of solid or liquid suspended in a gas. They range in size from less than 10 nanometres to more than 100 micrometres in diameter. This range of sizes represent scales from a gathering of a few molecules to the size where the particles no longer can be carried by the gas.
Airborne Infection Isolation (AII) Precautions: A component of Expanded Precautions, requires the isolation of patients infected with organisms spread through airborne droplet nuclei 1--5 m in diameter. This isolation area receives substantial ACH (>12 ACH for new construction since 2001 and >6 ACH for construction before 2001) and is under negative pressure (i.e., the direction of the air flow is from the outside adjacent space [e.g., the corridor] into the room). The air in an AII room is preferably exhausted to the outside, but can be recirculated if the return air is filtered through an high efficiency particulate respirator (HEPA) filter.
Airborne Infection Isolation Room (AIIR): Formerly called negative pressure isolation room, an AII room is a single-occupancy patient-care room used to isolate persons with suspected or confirmed infectious TB disease. Environmental factors are controlled in AII rooms to minimize the transmission of infectious agents that are usually spread from person-to-person by droplet nuclei associated with coughing or aerosolization of contaminated fluids. AII rooms should provide negative pressure in the room (so that air flows under the door gap into the room), an air flow rate of 6--12 ACH, and direct exhaust of air from the room to the outside of the building or recirculation of air through a HEPA filter.
Air changes per hour: The number of times in an hour that an entire air volume is exchanged with outside air. For example, if a house has one air change per hour, it means that the air in the house will be replaced in a one-hour period.
Air purifying respirator: Use filters, cartridges, and/or canisters that remove contaminants from the air by passing the ambient air through the air-purifying element before it reaches the user.
Anergy: A reduced or absent reaction to skin tests for TB as well as other infections often exhibited by HIV-infected persons who are immunosuppressed.
Assigned protection factor (APF): The mininum anticipated protection provided by a properly functioning respirator or class of respirators to a given percentage of properly fitted and trained users. The higher the APF, the more protective the respirator.
BenchSmart: The UMDNJ-EOHSS laboratory Safety Newsletter
Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC): Biological safety cabinets (BSCs) are among the most effective and the most commonly used primary containment devices in laboratories working with infectious agents. Properly maintained Class I and II BSCs, when used in conjunction with good microbiological techniques, provide an effective containment system for safe manipulation of moderate and high risk microorganisms (Biosafety Level 2 and 3 agents).
Biosafety Level (BL): One of four combinations of laboratory practices and techniques, safety equipment, and laboratory facilities recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health in "Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories", as being appropriate for minimizing the risk of infectious disease when microorganisms are worked with. The National Institutes of Health's "Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules" also makes use of this classification system in its requirements for safety practices regarding laboratory activities involving organisms that contain recombinant DNA.
Biosafety Level
2 (BL2): Work at Biosafety Level 2 is suitable for work involving agents of moderate potential hazard to personnel and the environment. It includes various bacteria and viruses that cause only mild disease to humans, or are difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting, such as C. diff, hepatitis A, B, and C, influenza A, Lyme disease, dengue fever, Salmonella, mumps, Bacillus subtilis, measles, HIV, scrapie, MRSA, and VRSA. Genetically modified organisms have also been classified as level 2 organisms, even if they pose no direct threat to humans. This designation is used to limit the release of modified organisms into the environment. Approval by the FDA is required to release these organisms. BSL-2 differs from BSL-1 in that:
1. laboratory personnel have specific training in handling pathogenic agents and are directed by scientists with advanced training;
2. access to the laboratory is limited when work is being conducted;
3. extreme precautions are taken with contaminated sharp items; and
4. certain procedures in which infectious aerosols or splashes may be created are conducted in biological safety cabinets or other physical containment equipment.
Biological safety cabinet (BSC): Biological safety cabinets (BSCs) are among the most effective and the most commonly used primary containment devices in laboratories working with infectious agents. Properly maintained Class I and II BSCs, when used in conjunction with good microbiological techniques, provide an effective containment system for safe manipulation of moderate and high risk microorganisms (Biosafety Level 2 and 3 agents).
Blood/body fluid exposure incident: means a specific eye, mouth, other mucous membrane, non-intact skin, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that results from the performance of an employee's duties.
Bloodborne pathogen exposure incident: A blood/body fluid exposure incident occurs when blood or OPIM enters the body via one of the following routes: a percutaneous injury (e.g., a needlestick or cut with a sharp object), contact with mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth) contact with non-intact skin (especially when the exposed skin is chapped, abraded, or afflicted with dermatitis or the contact is prolonged or involving an extensive area).
Bloodborne Pathogens: Pathogens means pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan (ECP): a written Exposure Control Plan is designed to eliminate or minimize employee exposure to bloodborne pathogens. The Exposure Control Plan is a key document to assist clinics, laboratories and departments in implementing and ensuring compliance with the standard, thereby protecting our employees. The BBP ECPincludes:
- (1) Employee exposure determination
(2) Procedures for evaluating the circumstances surrounding an exposure incident, and
(3) Schedule and method for implementing the specific sections of the standard, including:
- o Methods of
compliance
o Hepatitis B vaccination and post-exposure follow-up
o Training and communication of hazards to employees
o Recordkeeping
Blood Pressure Machines: Mercury- containing blood pressure machines have been replaced with mercury-free aneroids in most RWJMS clinical areas. Mercury-free alternatives must be considered when replacing older mercury-containing blood pressure machines.
Body Substance Isolation: The practice of isolating all body substances (blood, urine, feces, tears, etc.) of individuals who might be infected with illnessess such as HIV, or hepatitis so as to reduce as much as possible the chances of transmitting these illnesses. This can involve wearing latex barrier gloves, barrier aprons, using a face mask, using a face shield or CPR mask, etc. BSI is similar in nature to universal precautions, but goes further in isolating substances not currently known to carry HIV.
BSL-2: Biosafety Level 2 is similar to Biosafety Level 1 and is suitable for work involving agents of moderate potential hazard to personnel and the environment. (see appendix) It differs from BSL-1 in that:
BSL-3: Biosafety Level 3 is applicable to clinical, diagnostic, teaching, research, or production facilities in which work is done with indigenous or exotic agents which may cause serious or potentially lethal disease as a result of exposure by the inhalation route. Laboratory personnel have specific training in handling pathogenic and potentially lethal agents, are supervised by competent scientists who are experienced in working with these agents and the recommended standard microbiological practices, special practices, and safety equipment for Biosafety Level 3 are rigorously followed (see appendix).
- All procedures involving the manipulation of infectious materials are
conducted within biological safety cabinets or other physical containment
devices, or by personnel wearing appropriate personal protective clothing and
equipment.
Recommended laboratory special engineering and design features:
- i. double-door access zone and
ii. sealed penetrations
iii. the exhaust air from the laboratory room is discharged to the outdoors
iv. the ventilation to the laboratory is balanced to provide directional airflow into the room
v. access to the laboratory is restricted when work is in progress
BSL 2+: Biosafety level 2 facility containment used with biosafety level 3 work practices (see appendix). The assignment of an agent to a biosafety level for laboratory work must be based on a risk assessment. Such an assessment will take the risk group as well as other factors into consideration in establishing the appropriate biosafety level. For example, an agent that is assigned to Risk Group 2 may generally require Biosafety Level 2 facilities, equipment, practices and procedures for safe conduct of work. However, if particular experiments require the generation of high-concentration aerosols, then Biosafety Level 3 may be more appropriate to provide the necessary degree of safety, since it ensures superior containment of aerosols in the laboratory workplace. The biosafety level assigned for the specific work to be done is therefore driven by professional judgment based on a risk assessment, rather than by automatic assignment of a laboratory biosafety level according to the particular risk group designation of the pathogenic agent to be used.
BSL-2 materials: Broad spectrum of indigenous moderate-risk agents (bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasitic agents and human or human derived tissues) that are associated with human disease of varying severity. The primary hazard from BSL-2 materials is from percutaneous injury, ingestion, or mucous membrane exposure.
Extreme caution should be taken with contaminated needles or sharp instruments. Even though organisms routinely manipulated at Biosafety Level 2 are not known to be transmissible by the aerosol route, procedures with aerosol or high splash potential that may increase the risk of such personnel exposure must be conducted in primary containment equipment, or in devices such as a BSC or safety centrifuge cups. Other primary barriers should be used as appropriate, such as splash shields, face protection, gowns, and gloves.
Building Emergency Coordinator: A University employee who has a defined role in campus emergency/disaster preparedness: he or she prepares the Building Emergency Plan (BEP) and serves as the communication liaison between campus service agencies and building occupants for specific circumstances enumerated in the Building Coordinator position description.