Research Laboratory Safety (Continued…)

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• When other potentially infectious materials or infected animals are present in the work area, a hazard warning sign with the universal biohazard symbol must be posted on all access doors.

Engineering controls and work practices:

• All activities involving other potentially infectious materials must be conducted in biological safety cabinets; no work with these infectious materials may be conducted on the open bench.
• Each work area shall contain a sink for washing hands and a readily available eye wash facility; the sink shall be foot/knee/elbow or sensor operated and located near the exit door of the work area.

Needlestick or sharps safety:

• Hypodermic needles and syringes shall be used only for parenteral injection and aspiration of fluids from laboratory animals and diaphragm bottles.
• Extreme caution must be used when handling needles and syringes.
• A needle shall not be bent, sheared, replaced in the sheath or guard, or removed from the syringe following use.
• The needle and syringe must be promptly placed in a puncture-resistant container and decontaminated before reuse.