The following is a collection of biosafety risk assessment and resources for Florida’s public health laboratories and sentinel hospital clinical laboratories. These resources are the product of research from respected biosafety sources that were combined to help create a biorisk program. Please follow your own professional judgement, your institution’s established guidelines, and any applicable local, state, and federal requirements.
Risk Assessment
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and related documents, worksheets, tools are listed below.
- Conducting a Biosafety Risk Assessment SOP: version 005-06-22-2016
- Biosafety Risk Assessment Organizational List: version 004-06-22-2016
- Biosafety Risk Assessment Documentation Worksheet: version 004-06-22-2016
- Biosafety Risk Assessment Biological Agent Summary Worksheet: version 004-06-22-2016
- Biosafety Risk Assessment Biological Agent Evaluation Worksheet: version 005-6-22-2016
- Biosafety Risk Assessment Chemical Summary Worksheet: version 004-06-22-2016
- Biosafety Risk Assessment Hazard Exposure Activities and Controls Worksheet: version 005-06-22-2016
- Biosafety Risk Assessment Instrument-Method Worksheet: version 004-06-22-2016
- Biosafety Risk Assessment Hazard Exposure Activities and Controls Repository: version 004-06-22-2016
- Biosafety Risk Assessment General Considerations Worksheet: version 004-06-22-2016
- Biosafety Risk Assessment Risk Likelihood and Consequences Evaluation Worksheet: version 004-06-22-2016
- Biosafety Risk Assessment Control Failure Worksheet: version 004-06-22-2016
References/Sources for Standard Operating Procedures and Related Documents
Biosafety Risk Assessment
- Association of Public Health Laboratories, Biosafety Checklist: Developing a Culture of Biosafety (2015)
- Association of Public Health Laboratories, Clinical Laboratory Biosafety Risk Management Program Assessment Checklist (2016)
- Association of Public Health Laboratories, Risk Assessment Best Practices and Examples (2016)
- CDC Biosafety Resources and Tools
- Risk Assessment for Working with Infectious Agents in the Biological Laboratory (Richard Knudsen (2001). Applied Biosafety, 6(1))
Biosafety References
- American Society for Microbiology, Sentinel Level Clinical Laboratory Protocols for Suspected Biological Threat Agents and Emerging Infectious Diseases – Introduction, General Recommendations and Biochemical Test Procedures
- Association of Public Health Laboratories/American Society for Microbiology, Clinical Laboratory Preparedness and Response Guide (Blue Book)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Brucellosis Reference Guide: Exposures, Testing, and Prevention (Updated February 2017)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities (2008)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health Care Settings Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (Vol. 51 Recommendations and Reports, October 25, 2002)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Guidelines for Safe Work Practices in Human and Animal Medical Diagnostic Laboratories Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (Vol. 61 Supplement, January 6, 2012)
- Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, Protection of Laboratory Workers from Occupationally Acquired Infections Approved Guideline—Fourth Edition, M29-A4 (Vol. 34 No. 8, May 29, 2014)
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories 6th Edition
- U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration, Laboratory Safety Guidance (2011)
Ebola
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Assessment Tool for Ebola Treatment Centers and Assessment Hospitals
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Guidance for U.S. Laboratories for Managing and Testing Routine Clinical Specimens When There is a Concern About Ebola Virus Disease
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Guidance on Personal Protective Equipment Used by Healthcare Workers during Management of Patients with Confirmed Ebola or Persons under Investigation
- U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration, PPE Selection Matrix for Occupational Exposure to Ebola Virus Guidance for Common Exposure Scenarios Fact Sheet 3761
Competency
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Guidelines for Biosafety Laboratory Competency Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (Vol. 60 Supplement, April 15, 2011)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Competency Guidelines for Public Health Laboratory Professionals Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (Vol. 64 Supplement, May 15, 2015)
Infection Control
- American Public Health Association, Control of Communicable Diseases Manual
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities (2003)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Tool for Acute Care Hospitals (2016)
Biological Agents and Toxins
- American Biological Safety Association, Risk Group Database
- Canadian Pathogen Safety Data Sheets and Risk Assessment
- Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, Protection of Laboratory Workers From Occupationally Acquired Infections; Approved Guideline Fourth Edition
- HHS/CDC/NIH Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories 6th Edition
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Handbook of Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Known as the Bad Bug Book
Chemical Hygiene
Exercises and Drills for Chemical Laboratories
Thought Exercise in Accidents and Incident Response version 003-08-05-2016
The Florida Department of Health’s Public Health Laboratories offers free, on-site training in risk assessment and laboratory biosafety for clinical laboratories. For more information, contact Leah Kloss at our Tampa location at 813-233-2278 to schedule a class for your facility.