FAS

Safety Standards for Microbiology Labs

05.07.09 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

The U.S. Army yesterday issued a revised and updated safety policy for microbiology and biomedical laboratories.  The new policy “prescribes the technical safety requirements for the use, handling, transportation, transfer, storage, and disposal of infectious agents and toxins (IAT) rated at biosafety level 2 (BSL–2) and above.”  It applies to “all U.S. Army activities and facilities in which IAT are used.”

“Microbiological and biomedical activities are conducted by the U.S. Army in developing measures to identify, detect, diagnose, treat, and protect against IAT,” the 45 page document explains.  See “Safety Standards for Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories” (pdf), U.S. Army Pamphlet 385-69, May 6, 2009.