Biosafety Level 1 (BSL-1)

The lowest of the four biosafety levels and is suitable for work involving well-characterized agents not known to consistently cause disease in healthy adult humans. These organisms pose minimal potential hazard to laboratory personnel and the environment.

Biological Agent Requirements

  1. Agents must be non-pathogenic to healthy humans (for example: E. coli K-12).
  2. No risk of aerosol transmission.
  3. Limited or no hazard to lab workers or the environment.

Laboratory Practices

  1. No eating, drinking, smoking, applying cosmetics, or handling contact lenses.
  2. Use of mechanical pipetting only (no mouth pipetting).
  3. Minimize splashes and aerosols.
  4. Proper labeling and storage of materials.

Safety Equipment (Primary Barriers)

  1. No special containment equipment required.
  2. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
    1. Lab Coats as needed
    2. Gloves as needed
    3. Eye protections as needed

Laboratory Facility Design (Secondary Barriers)

  1. Laboratory must have:
    1. Handwashing sink. (Unless reviewed and approved via a risk assessment.)
    2. Decontamination capability (for example: autoclave available within the building, though not necessarily in the lab).
    3. Windows that are either sealed or have screens.

Waste Disposal

  1. Decontaminate all biohazard waste before disposal (for example: autoclaving or chemical treatment).
  2. Sharps containers for disposal of needles or other sharp instruments.

Signage and Documentation

  1. Biohazard signage if required (e.g., during specific procedures).
  2. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) available and followed.
  3. Incident reporting and documentation protocols in place.