1988 Agent Summary Statement for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Report on Laboratory-Acquired Infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus [MMWR, Vol 37 No.S-4]

10

MMWR

April 1, 1988

is integral to the syringe) are used for the injection or aspiration of
infectious fluids. Extreme caution is used when handling needles and
syringes to avoid autoinoculation and the generation of aerosols during use
and disposal. A needle should not be bent, sheared, replaced in the sheath
or guard, or removed from the syringe following use. The needle and
syringe should be promptly placed in a puncture-resistant container and
decontaminated, preferably by autoclaving, before being discarded or
reused.
16. Spills and accidents that result in overt or potential exposures to infectious
material are immediately reported to the laboratory director. Appropriate
medical evaluation, surveillance, and treatment are provided, and written
records are maintained.
17. Baseline serum samples for all laboratory and other at-risk personnel are
collected and stored. Additional serum specimens may be collected periodically, depending on the agents handled or the function of the laboratory.
18. A biosafety manual is prepared or adopted. Personnel are advised of
special hazards and are required to read instructions on practices and
procedures and to follow them.
C. Containment equipment
Biological safety cabinets (Class I, II, or Ill) or other appropriate combinations
of personal-protection or physical-containment devices (e.g., special protective
clothing, masks, gloves, respirators, centrifuge safety cups, sealed centrifuge
rotors, and containment caging for animals) are used for all activities with
infectious materials that pose a threat of aerosol exposure. These include:
manipulation of cultures and of clinical or environmental material that may be
a source of infectious aerosols; the aerosol challenge of experimental animals;
harvesting of tissues or fluids from infected animals and embryonated eggs;
and necropsy of infected animals.
D. Laboratory facilities
1. The laboratory is separated from areas that are open to unrestricted traffic
flow within the building. Passage through two sets of doors is the basic
requirement for entry into the laboratory from access corridors or other
contiguous areas. Physical separation of the high-containment laboratory
from access corridors or other laboratories or activities may also be
provided by a double-doored clothes-change room (showers may be
included), airlock, or other access facility that requires passing through two
sets of doors before entering the laboratory.
2. The interior surfaces of walls, floors, and ceilings are water resistant so that
they can be easily cleaned. Penetrations in these surfaces are sealed or
capable of being sealed to facilitate decontaminating the area.
3. Bench tops are impervious to water and resistant to acids, alkalis, organic
solvents, and moderate heat.
4. Laboratory furniture is sturdy, and spaces between benches, cabinets, and
equipment are accessible for cleaning.
5. Each laboratory contains a sink for washing hands. The sink is foot, elbow,
or automatically operated and is located near the laboratory exit door.
6. Windows in the laboratory are closed and sealed.
7. Access doors to the laboratory or containment module are self-closing.