M6 Flashcards
An inadvertent occurrence that results in actual harm such as infection, illness, injury in humans or contamination of the environment.
Accident
The assessment and attestation of competency.
Accreditation
Liquid or solid particles suspended in air and of a size that may allow inhalation into the lower respiratory tract (usually less than 10 micrometres in diameter).
Aerosol
A microorganism, virus, biological toxin, particle or otherwise infectious material, either naturally occurring or genetically modified, which may have the potential to cause infection, allergy, toxicity or otherwise create a hazard to humans, animals, or plant
Biological agent
enclosed, ventilated working space designed to provide protection to the operator, the laboratory environment and/or the work materials for activities where there is an aerosol hazard.
Containment is achieved by segregation of the work from the main area of the
laboratory and/or through the use of controlled, directional airflow mechanisms.
Exhaust air is passed through a high- efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter before recirculating into the laboratory or into the building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. There are different classes (I,II and III) of BSCs that provide different levels of containment.
Biological safety cabinet (BSC)
Containment principles, technologies and practices that are implemented to prevent unintentional exposure to biological agents or their inadvertent release.
Biosafety
Principles, technologies and practices that are implemented for the protection, control and accountability of biological materials and/or the equipment, skills and data related to their handling. Biosecurity aims to prevent their unauthorized access, loss, theft, misuse, diversion or release.
Biosecurity
A tank of a minimum height used to contain spills which can then be drained or pumped under control. It is usual to provide bunding which has a volume equivalent to 110% of the potential spill volume.
Bunding
Establishment of the relationship between the measurement provided by the instrument and the corresponding values of a known standard, allowing correction to improve accuracy. For example, laboratory equipment such as pipetting devices may need calibration periodically to ensure proper performance.
Calibration
A third-party testimony based on a structured assessment and formal documentation confirming that a system, person or piece of equipment conforms to specified requirements, for example, to a certain standard.
Certification
Visually free of soil and below specified levels of analytes.
Clean
Process of bringing an item into operation and ensuring that it is in good working order. On building projects, commissioning refers primarily to building services.
Commissioning
Individual or company independent of the builder that does the commissioning work.
Commissioning agent
A set of minimum requirements defined in the fourth edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) Laboratory biosafety manual to describe a combination of risk control measures that are both the foundation for, and an integral part of, laboratory biosafety. These measures reflect international standards and best practice in biosafety that are necessary to work safely with biological agents, even where the associated risks are minimal.
Core requirements
Process of stopping work, decontaminating and making safe a facility such that residual risk in the facility is reduced to an acceptable risk. It may be followed by re-commissioning, repurposing or demolition.
Decommissioning
Reduction of viable biological agents or other hazardous materials on a surface or object(s) to a pre-defined level by chemical and/or physical means.
Decontamination
Practical and commonly used design solutions used to meet and satisfy stated design requirements. This could be a hand-washing basin with a knee-operated water tap, or a window allowing vision through a door or into a space.
Design features
Stated features required by a needs assessment which must be included in the design and which are set out in the user requirement specification.
Design requirements
A group of (professional) people brought together with the
main purpose of designing a building, including specifications and drawings, schedules and programmes. They may be the same as, different to, or part of a construction team.
Design team
Air moving from an active (caused by an intentional force) or passive (air movement as a secondary effect) air source to an active extraction location.
Directional airflow
Agents capable of eliminating viable biological agents on
surfaces or in liquid waste. These will have varying effectiveness depending on the properties of the chemical, its concentration, shelf life and contact time with the agent.
Disinfectant
An outline of the behaviours, processes and procedures to be followed when handling sudden or unexpected situations, including exposure to or release of biological agents. The goal of an emergency response is to prevent injuries or infections, reduce damage to equipment or the environment, and accelerate resumption of normal operation.
Emergency response
Risk control measures that are built into the design of a laboratory or laboratory equipment to contain the hazards. Biological safety cabinets (BSCs) and isolators are forms of engineering control in order to minimize the risk of exposure to and/or unintended release of biological agents.
Engineering controls:
An event during which an individual comes in contact with, or is in close proximity to, biological agents with the potential for infection or harm to occur. Routes of exposure can include inhalation, ingestion, percutaneous injury and absorption and are usually dependent upon the characteristics of the biological agent. However, some infection routes are specific to the laboratory environment and are not commonly seen in the general community.
Exposure
Use of a poisonous gas or vapour to remove contamination of a biological agent from a surface, piece of equipment or area.
Fumigation