A laboratory biosafety program (LBP) is essential to ensure the health and safety of laboratory staff and the general public from hazardous materials and infectious agents. In the US, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets federal standards governing LBPs that enforce best practices by non-regulatory organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) [1]. In addition, twenty-five states and two territories established OSHA-approved biosafety standards that meet or exceed federal standards [2]. The CDC/NIH's Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories [BMBL] are the primary guidelines for LBPs, and many jurisdictions use the manual in a regulatory manner [3]. Ensuring laboratory biosafety requires vigilance; laboratories must maintain equipment and materials, develop and implement security measures, and staff must be annually trained in biosafety procedures. Our evaluation of LBPs underscored the importance of the human element in biosafety compliance.
Objective
To understand the potential gaps in laboratory biosafety due to human factors.