Risk Group
NIH Guidelines
| BSL | Suggested Biosafety
Practices and Procedures | Examples |
Risk Group 1: Agents are Not associated with disease in healthy adult humans. |
BSL-1 | * Work is done on open bench tops and special containment equipment is not required * Standard microbiological practices are observed * Biohazard signs should be posted | * Escherichia coli; K12 derivatives (DH5α, JH109, pBluescript, psi2) * baculovirus |
Risk Group 2: Agents are associated with human disease which is rarely serious. There are often preventative or therapeutic interventions available. (Low to Moderate Risk) |
BSL-2 | *All BSL-1 containment and practices plus the following: * Laboratory access is restricted when experimental work is in progress * Personnel have specific training in handling of agents * Biological safety cabinets (BSC) or other physical ontainment devices are used for potential aerosol generation procedures * Biohazard signs must be posted * Specific PPE (personnel protective equipment) and entrance requirements.
| * Adenovirus * All human blood-contanimated specimens * All human cell lines * Herpes Simplex Virus * Rabies Virus * Pseudorabies Virus |
Risk Group 2
or
Risk Group 3 agents: Protocol specific (Moderate to High Risk) |
BSL-2+
("2-Plus" or Enhanced) | *All BSL-2 facilities, containment and practices plus BSL-3 practices including: * Restricted Laboratory access * Personnel have specific training in handling of agents * All procedures are performed in biological safety cabinets (BSC) * Biohazard signs should be posted * Written safety policies provided by the investigator defining laboratory procedures, waste disposal, disinfection and medical surveillance (Biosafety Operations Manual)
* Centrifuge safety cups must be used | * Lentiviral vectors such as: * SIV; proviral DNA * HIV-1 infectious molecular clones |
Risk Group 3: Agents are associated with serious or lethal human disease for which preventitive or therapeutic interventions MAY be available. (Moderate to High Risk) |
BSL-3 | * All BSL-2 containment and practices plus the following: * Specific facility design parameters must be followed, including requirements for location, ventilation, room integrity and security. * Facility must be commissioned according to Universith of Pittsburgh BSL-3/ABSL-3 commissioning processes. | * M. tuberculosis * Concentrated Lentivirus or Lentiviral vectors with high likelihood of aerosol formation. |
Risk Group 4: Agents are likely to cause serious or lethal human disease for which preventive or therapeutic interventions are NOT USUALLY available. (Extreme Risk) |
BSL-4 | * NO current facilities exist to accomodate risk group 4 agents at the University of Pittsburgh | * None; no current usage of this risk group classification at the University of Pittsburgh. |
