Laboratory workers who handle infectious materials in the microbiology laboratory should be aware of the work practices, safety equipment, and barriers that will protect them, and others in the area, from infectious agents.
The CDC and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) created guidelines to assist laboratories in developing safe practices based on the infectious agents that are handled. These guidelines are referred to as Biosafety Levels 1 through 4. Each increasing number represents increased risk, requiring more stringent work practice and increasingly protective safety equipment and barriers. A copy of the Guidelines can
accessed online on the CDC website.
