Critical Biological Accidents Definition A CRITICAL BIOLOGICAL ACCIDENT is defined as a wound, contact, or aerosol exposure of an individual to a biological commodity. Reporting Critical biological accidents involving biological commodities requiring approval from the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), Biological Safety Program (BSP), or the Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHSO) must be immediately reported to the supervisor or instructor in charge and then by telephone to the Biological Safety Program (BSP) at 956-3197. Critical biological accidents involving Biosafety Level 2 or greater microbial agents and r-DNA molecules shall be immediately reported to the supervisor or instructor in charge who decide whether the degree of exposure and agent involved warrants immediate notification of the BSO at the EHSO. Medical Treatment When medical treatment is required, please go to the nearest emergency room or your personal physician or UH Health Services for medical management of the accident and to advise the injured or exposed person as to medical treatment. Decontamination Decontamination of person, clothing, equipment, and facilities shall be by methods stipulated in the laboratory protocol for the particular agent and work area. Biological Emergency Spill Kit (suggested).

Noncritical Biological Accidents Definition NONCRITICAL BIOLOGICAL ACCIDENTS is defined as the contamination of physical equipment or facilities by a biological commodity without exposure of personnel. Reporting Noncritical biological accidents involving biological commodities shall be reported to the supervisor or instructor in charge. Need not be reported to BSO. Decontamination Contaminated areas shall be decontaminated by methods stipulated in the protocol for the particular agent and laboratory.

Biohazard Spill in a Biological Safety Cabinet A spill that is confined to the interior of the Biological Safety Cabinet (not a Laminar Clean Bench) should present a little or no hazard to personnel in the area. Chemical disinfectant procedures should be initiated at once while the cabinet ventilation system continues to operate to prevent escape of contaminates from the cabinets. Disinfectant with a detergent has the advantage of detergent activity, which will help clean the surfaces by removing both dirt and microorganisms. A suitable disinfectant is a 3% solution of an iodophor such as Wescodyne or a 1 to 100 dilution of household bleach (e.g., Chlorox) with 0.7% non-ionic detergent. The operator should wear safety goggles, gloves and other appropriate personnel protective equipment during this procedure. Use sufficient disinfectant solution to ensure that the drain pans and catch basins below the work surface contain the disinfectant. Immediately after a spill, the cabinet should be allowed to run for at least ten minutes to allow the cabinet to purge any airborne contaminants. Chemical decontamination procedures should be conducted while the cabinet continues to operate to prevent escape of contaminants from the cabinet. Spray or wipe walls, work surfaces and equipment with appropriate disinfectant. Germicide should at least have a minimum contact time of ten minutes. Flood the top work surface, tray, and if a BSL 1 cabinet, wipe the drain pans and catches basins below the work surface with a sponge or cloth soaked in a disinfectant. For BSL 2 cabinets, drain the tray into the cabinet base, take out the tray and remove exhaust grill work and wipe off top and bottom (underside) surfaces with a sponge or cloth soaked in a disinfectant. Then replace in position and drain disinfectant from cabinet base into appropriate container and autoclave waste liquid. Gloves, cloth or sponge should be discarded in an autoclave bag or container and autoclaved. For BSL 3 or greater materials spill, decontaminate cabinet with formaldehyde and other appropriate means (service provided by EHSO). After contaminated gloves and clothing have been removed, wash arms, hands and face with germicidal soap.

Biohazard Spill Outside a Biological Safety Cabinet Hold your breath, leave the room immediately, and close door. Turn on ultra-violet light if these are present. Warn others not to enter the contaminated area. If possible place warning signs. Immediately remove contaminated clothing, place it in the autoclave bags provide for transporting solid wastes to the autoclave, and seal the bag. Disinfect exposed areas of the body with soap and warm water (or other disinfectant). Take a shower and autoclave contaminated clothing immediately upon leaving and securing the contaminated area. Avoid contact with other individual a much as possible to prevent additional exposure. Inform the Principal Investigator responsible for the area and the EHSO as soon as safety possible. Wait at least one hour for aerosols to settle and for the UV to act before re-entry into the contaminated area. Put on a long sleeved gown, mask, eye protection preferably goggles, rubber gloves, and shoe cover before re-entering the contaminated room. For a high risk agent, a jumpsuit with tight-fitting wrists and a self-containing breathing apparatus (SCBA) respirator must be used. Pour an appropriate decontaminate solution around the spill. Paper towels soaked with disinfectant may be used to cover the area. Avoid pouring the disinfectant directly onto the spill to minimize the generation of aerosols. Let stand approximately thirty minutes to allow an adequate contact time. The dust pan and squeegee should be placed in an autoclave bag and autoclaved. All accidents, exposures, and potential hazards should be reported to EHSO. In severe emergencies, telephone communication should be used to secure immediate medical care, decontaminating procedures or facility repairs.

Broken and Spilled Cultures Broken cultures should be covered at least ten minutes with a cloth soaked in disinfectant. The breakage and the cloth should be cleared away into a dust pan and the area swabbed with disinfectant. The broken material, swab, dust pan and other cleaning equipment should be placed in a biological wastes container for autoclaving. All necessary personnel protective equipment should be used.

Accidental Injection, Cuts and Abrasions The individual should remove protective clothing, wash the hands and the affected area, apply disinfectant if appropriate and go to the first-aid room, where the person in charge should be informed about the cause of the wound and agent involved. If considered necessary a physician should be consulted and advise followed. The accident should be reported.

Accidental Ingestion of Potentially Biohazardous Material The individual should be taken to the first-aid room, after removal of protective equipment. A physician should be informed of the agents ingested and his advise followed. Appropriate written records should be kept. (Poison Center: 941-4411).

Procedures Following a Potentially Hazardous Aerosol Release (Other Than in a Safety Cabinet) All persons should vacate the affected area at once. The supervisor and the BSP should be informed immediately. No one should enter the room for at least one hour. This allows aerosols to settle. Signs should be posted indicating that entry is forbidden. After one hour, decontamination should proceed, supervised by the BSP. Affected persons should be referred for medical treatment.

Breakage of Tubes with Potentially Biohazardous Materials in Centrifuges not Having Safety Cups If a breakage is known or suspected while the machine is running, the motor should be switched off and the machine should not be opened for at least thirty minutes, after the centrifuge stops. If a breakage is discovered after the machine has stopped, the cover should be replaced and left closed for a minimum of thirty minutes. The BSP should be informed. Strong (e.g., thick rubber) gloves, covered if necessary with suitable disposable plastic gloves, should be worn for all subsequent operations. Forceps should be used, or cotton swabs held in forceps, to pick up glass debris. All broken tubes, glass fragments, bucket, trunnions, and the rotor should be placed in non-corrosive disinfectant known to be effective against the microorganisms concerned, use appropriate dilution and leave soaking for 24 hours or autoclaved. Unbroken, capped tubes may be placed in disinfectant in a separate container and the contents recovered after one hour. The bowl should be swabbed with the same disinfectant, at appropriate dilution, left overnight and then swabbed again, washed with soap and water and dried. All swabs should be treated as biological wastes. Hypochlorite should not be used as they corrode metal. If safety cups (sealed buckets) are used for biological materials they should be opened in a Class II Biosafety Cabinet. If a tube has broken the bucket cap should be replaced loosely and the bucket autoclaved or placed in a suitable non-corrosive disinfectant.

Radioactive-Biological Hazardous Combination Spills (SWIM) Secure, Warn others of the spill, Isolate the spill area, and Minimize exposure. Survey radiation to determine whether there is a need to protect personnel. Clean-up according to guidelines in Part D Biohazard Spill Outside of a Biological Safety Cabinet. 14C and 3H can be steamed autoclaved without hazards. However, 125I should be inactivated by used of compatible liquid chemical germicide before the shipment is packaged as radioactive wastes. (Note: Do not use Cl2 as a liquid germicide; potential release of I2 through chemical reaction can occur). After clean-up, a final radiation survey is conducted. Please see the Radiation Safety Manual or call the Radiation Safety Officer for more information.

Personal Injury due to Biological Accidents Assess the severity of the injury and the circumstances surrounding the incident. If work-related or non-employee injury or illness is determined to be of an emergency nature, the individual should receive treatment at the nearest medical emergency department. In the event that an individual requires medical assistance at the scene of the incident or needs to be transported to the Emergency Room by medical personnel, call Campus Security at 6-6911. It is highly suggested, for non-emergency injuries, send the employee or injured individual to University Health Services, Straub Hospital and Clinic or their private physician. If the individual can be moved and transported safety by non-medical personnel, a supervisor or co-worker should accompany the injured individual to the appropriate healthcare facility. Employers, supervisor and WC Coordinators have a responsibility to timely report the work-related injury/illness of an employee to the University's insurance carrier. The UH Form 79 (OPHR), "Report of Work-Related Injury/Illness", is available for reporting purposes. Please refer to the UH Administrative Procedures A9.720 Workers Compensation for further instruction in this matter. If unable to complete the "Report of Work-Related Injury/Illness" at the time of the injury, a call from the medical advisor may be required to identify the employee and the department. Briefly explain the injury and identify it as work-related. Even if the reported injury or illness is not serious enough to require treatment, an "Accident Injury and Illness Report" should be completed and sent to EHSO. If follow-up care is necessary, that care will be reported. It is the employee's responsibility to contact their personnel officer if any lost time is involved, as well as to notify their department of their absence. within the department. All suspicious or work-related illness must be reported, directly to Biosafety Program. Biosafety Officer will notify appropriate UH, State and Federal Agencies (Departments of Health and Agriculture).

BIOLOGICAL EMERGENCY SPILL KIT (Suggested)

Personnel Protective Equipment Disposable laboratory coats, disposable gloves, safety goggles, covered footwear, disposable particulate respirator (N95, N100) or half-face or full face respirator with HEPA filter cartridges (N-100). Disinfectant 5% Wescodyne, 10% bleach or other appropriate EPA registered disinfectants. Clean-Up Supplies Autoclavable forceps, squeegee, dust pan, red biohazard waste bags, disposable wipes, appropriate personnel protective equipment, first-aid kit and spill pillows.