Biohazards

Biologically hazardous materials and substances, biohazards for short, have special classifications and methods for handling them. Biohazards can be either chemical or biological in nature and have an Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) safety rating of 3 or greater in any of their Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). Other biohazards are listed as any carcinogen, a cancer causing agent, a mutagen, any substance which can cause mutations in genetic material or a teratogen which is a substance that can cause malformation of a fetus.

Other materials classified as biohazards are toxic proteins such as ricin, cholera and other bacterial toxins. The National Institute of Health lists many biohazards that require special handling and storage. Almost all the disease causing funguses, parasites and viruses are listed to varying degrees of danger as biohazards. Also considered to be biohazards are any fluids or other medium which carries such organisms, such as blood, urine and feces.

There is a class of biohazards which are created by the radiation therapy used to treat some types of diseases and cancers that can only be handled by specially trained personnel at hospitals and laboratories.

Some of the special containment equipment used to handle biohazards safely are special cabinets constructed using the High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filter and storage bags which have microfilters installed to prevent escape of microscopic spores and viruses. There are vacuum sealed cabinets for some of the different types of biohazard materials and the special lead coated ones used for radioactive materials.

Entire rooms can be constructed as laboratories and research facilities with these air filters installed that cleanse and purify the airflow while insuring the prevention of escape by biologically hazardous materials. In the field special hazardous materials (HazMat) suits can be used to work in contaminated areas while researching or cleaning up biological disasters and emergencies. These suits work in the reverse of the containment cabinets as they are designed to keep the pathogens out of the system.

The universal biohazard logo is easily identifiable. The biohazard sign consists of three open circles attached at the center of the design with another smaller non-broken circle in behind the three open circle symbols. The background is a fiery red and the symbol itself is usually black or white.

The most complete and up to date information on the classification and materials safety procedures for dealing with biohazards would be through the Centers for Disease Control and the Occupational Safety and Health Association web sites.