UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS
BIOSAFETY LEVEL 2 LABORATORY SELF-AUDIT CHECKLIST
Checklist developed from the 5th Edition of Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, U.S.
Centers for Disease Control
Administrative Practices Applicable to Biosafety Level 2 Laboratories
__Yes __No
The laboratory has doors for access control and the lab is locked when no one is present.
__Yes __No
Access to the laboratory is limited or restricted at the discretion of the PI or laboratory
director when experiments or work with cultures and specimens are in progress.
__Yes __No
The PI or laboratory director has established policies and procedures whereby only persons
who have been advised of the potential hazards and meet specific entry requirements (e.g.,
immunizations, immune-competent) may enter and/or work in the laboratory.
__Yes __No
Laboratory procedures been incorporated into standard operating procedures and are in a
biosafety manual prepared specifically for the laboratory by the laboratory director.
__Yes __No
Personnel are advised of special hazards and required to read and follow instructions on
practices and procedures.
__Yes __No
The biosafety manual described above is available for review at the following
location(s):__________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__Yes __No
__Yes __No
__Yes __No
__Yes __No
__Yes __No
__Yes __No
__Yes __No __N/A
__Yes __No __N/A
__Yes __No __N/A
__Yes __No
A sign incorporating the universal biohazard symbol is posted on the entrance to the
laboratory when infectious agents are present. The sign includes the name of the agent(s) in
use, the name and phone number of the PI and/or other responsible personnel.
Housekeeping and maintenance activities adequately address pest management issues.
The PI and/or Laboratory Supervisor has ensured that all laboratory personnel have received
appropriate training regarding their duties, the necessary precautions to prevent exposures,
and exposure evaluation procedures.
Personnel receive annual updates and/or additional training when procedural or policy
changes occur.
All laboratory personnel, including women of child-bearing age, are provided with
information regarding immune competence and conditions which may predispose them to
infection.
Personnel with conditions which predispose them to infection are encouraged to selfidentify to the UAF Industrial Hygienist or Biosafety Officer for guidance and assistance with
obtaining counseling from the university’s occupational health provider.
Laboratory personnel have received appropriate immunizations or tests for all agents
handled or potentially present in the laboratory (e.g., hepatitis B vaccine or TB skin testing).
Baseline serum samples for laboratory and other at-risk personnel have been collected and
stored (when appropriate, based on the agent(s) handled).
Medical evaluation, surveillance, and treatment are provided as appropriate and written
records are maintained.
Animals and plants not involved in the work being performed are not permitted in the lab.
Standard Microbiological Practices Applicable to Biosafety Level 2 Laboratories
General Lab Hygiene
__Yes __No
Persons wash their hands after they handle viable materials, after removing gloves, and prior
to leaving the laboratory, even for short breaks.
__Yes __No
Eating, drinking, smoking, handling contact lenses, applying cosmetics, and storing food for
human use is prohibited in the work areas.
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__Yes __No
__Yes __No
Food is stored outside the work area in cabinets or refrigerators designated and used for this
purpose only.
Mouth pipetting is prohibited and mechanical pipetting devices are available.
Sharps Management
__Yes __No __N/A Needles are not bent, sheared, broken, recapped, removed from disposable syringes, or
otherwise manipulated before disposal.
__Yes __No __N/A Used disposable needles are carefully placed in conveniently located puncture-resistant
sharps containers prior to disposal.
__Yes __No __N/A Non-disposable sharps are placed in a hard-walled container for transport to the autoclave
or other decontamination area.
__Yes __No __N/A A high degree of precaution is always taken with any contaminated sharp items, including
needles and syringes, slides, pipettes, capillary tubes, and scalpels.
__Yes __No __N/A The use of needles and syringes or other sharp instruments is restricted in the laboratory
except when there is no alternative (e.g. parenteral injection, phlebotomy, or aspiration of
fluids from laboratory animals and diaphragm bottles).
__Yes __No __N/A Only needle-locking syringes or disposable syringe-needle units (i.e., needle integral to the
syringe) are used for injection or aspiration of infectious materials.
__Yes __No __N/A Syringes which re-sheathe the needle, needleless systems, and other safety devices are used
when appropriate.
__Yes __No __N/A Broken glassware is not handled directly. Tongs, brushes, and dustpans are used to clean up
broken glass.
__Yes __No __N/A Plastic labware is used whenever feasible.
Work Practices
__Yes __No
__Yes __No __N/A
Procedures are performed carefully to minimize the creation of splashes or aerosols.
All procedures involving the manipulation of infectious materials that may generate an
aerosol should be conducted within a certified biosafety cabinet or other physical
containment device.
Decontamination and waste management
__Yes __No __N/A Work surfaces are decontaminated with an effective disinfectant on a routine basis, after
work with infectious materials is finished, and especially after overt spills, splashes, or other
contamination by infectious materials.
__Yes __No __N/A Laboratory equipment is decontaminated with an effective disinfectant on a routine basis,
after work with infectious materials is finished, and especially after overt spills, splashes, or
other contamination by infectious materials.
__Yes __No
A method for decontaminating all laboratory wastes is available in the facility (autoclave,
chemical disinfection, incineration, or other validated decontamination method).
__Yes __No
All cultures, stocks, and other regulated wastes are decontaminated before disposal by an
approved decontamination method such as autoclaving.
__Yes __No __N/A Materials to be decontaminated outside of the immediate laboratory are placed in a
durable, leak-proof container and closed for transport from the laboratory.
__Yes __No __N/A Cultures, tissues, specimens of bodily fluids, or potentially infectious wastes are placed in a
container with a cover that prevents leakage during collection, handling, processing, storage,
transport, or shipping.
__Yes __No __N/A Contaminated equipment is decontaminated before removal from the facility before it is
sent for repair or maintenance, and is packaged for transport in accordance with applicable
state or federal regulations.
__Yes __No
Spills and accidents that result in overt exposures to infectious materials are immediately
reported to the laboratory director.
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Biosafety Level 2 Safety Equipment (Primary Barriers)
__Yes __No
Laboratory coats, gowns, or uniforms are worn to prevent contamination or soiling of street
clothes.
__Yes __No __N/A Protective laboratory coats, gowns, smocks or uniforms designated for lab use are laundered
in the building’s laundry facility according to established procedures and is never taken
home by personnel.
__Yes __No __N/A Protective eyewear is worn when conducting procedures that have the potential to create
splashes of microorganisms or other hazardous materials.
__Yes __No
Persons who wear contact lenses in laboratories wear safety glasses, splash goggles, or a
face shield, depending on the procedure(s) being performed.
__Yes __No
Gloves are worn if the skin on the hands is broken or if a rash is present.
__Yes __No
Alternatives to powdered latex gloves are available.
__Yes __No
Gloves are changed when they are contaminated or when their integrity has been
compromised, or when otherwise necessary.
__Yes __No
Disposable gloves are not washed or reused.
__Yes __No
Contaminated gloves are disposed of with other contaminated laboratory waste.
__Yes __No
An eyewash station is readily available and is flushed at least monthly.
__Yes __No
An emergency shower is readily available and is flushed at least monthly.
__Yes __No __N/A
A biosafety cabinet is available in this laboratory. Provide a description of the cabinet,
including manufacturer, class and serial number:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__Yes __No __N/A
Properly maintained Class II biological safety cabinets or other appropriate personal
protective equipment or physical containment devices are used whenever:
a) Procedures with a potential for creating infectious aerosols or splashes are
conducted, including
i. Centrifuging
ii. Grinding
iii. Blending
iv. Vigorous shaking or mixing
v. Sonic disruption
vi. Opening containers of infectious materials whose internal
pressures may be different form ambient pressures
vii. Inoculating animals intranasally
viii. Harvesting infected tissues from animals or embryonate eggs
b) High concentrations of large volumes of infectious agents are used. Such
materials may be centrifuged in the open laboratory if sealed rotor heads or
centrifuge safety cups are used, and if these rotors or safety cups are opened
only in the biological safety cabinet.
__Yes __No __N/A
Face protection (goggles, mask, face shield or other splatter guard) are used for anticipated
splashes or sprays of infectious or other hazardous materials to the face when the
microorganisms must be manipulated outside of the biosafety cabinet.
Biosafety Level 2 Laboratory Facilities (Secondary Barriers)
__Yes __No __N/A Lockable doors are provided for facilities that house restricted agents (as defined in 42 CFR
72.6), and doors are locked when no one is present in the laboratory.
__Yes __No
The laboratory has a sink for hand washing. Foot, knee, or automatically operated sinks are
recommended.
__Yes __No
The laboratory is designed so that it can be easily cleaned (no carpets or porous surfaces).
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__Yes __No
__Yes __No
__Yes __No
__Yes __No
__Yes __No __N/A
__Yes __No __N/A
__Yes __No __N/A
__Yes __No __N/A
__Yes __No __N/A
__Yes __No __N/A
__Yes __No __N/A
__Yes __No __N/A
Bench tops are impervious to water and resistant to moderate heat and the organic
solvents, acids, alkalis, and other chemicals used to decontaminate work surfaces and
equipment.
Laboratory furniture is capable of supporting anticipated loading and uses.
Spaces between benches, cabinets, and equipment are accessible for cleaning.
Chairs and other furniture used in laboratory work are covered with a non-fabric material
that can be easily decontaminated.
Biological safety cabinets are installed is such a manner that fluctuations of the room air
supply and exhaust air do not cause biological safety cabinets to operate outside their
parameters for containment.
The biological cabinets are located away from doors, windows that can be opened, heavily
traveled laboratory areas, and from other potentially disruptive equipment so as to maintain
the air flow parameters for containment.
All lab personnel who are required to use the biological safety cabinet have successfully
completed Biosafety Cabinet training.
Vacuum lines are protected with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter or the
equivalent.
HEPA filters on vacuum lines are replaced as needed.
A liquid disinfectant trap is used.
Illumination is adequate for all activities, avoiding reflections, and glare that could impede
vision.
Laboratory windows that open to the exterior are fitted with fly screens.
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