The New Jersey Department of Agriculture – Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory (AHDL) required a subject matter expert in biosafety and biocontainment to provide a third-party assessment of their BSL-2 and BSL-3 Biosafety Manual and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). CRC offered a new set of eyes to view and identify risks, without the natural familiarity that occurs overtime with regular staff in their day-to-day routine. CRC’s biosafety professional certified by the American Biological Safety Association Credentialing Evaluation Board oversaw appropriateness of the documentation for biological safety compliance to the Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, 5th Edition and the NIH BSL-3 Certification Checklist and Requirements.

Following the review of the Biosafety Manual and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), CRC’s lead biosafety professional prepared and provided a site-specific course for AHDL’s staff of 16 laboratory workers. Course content included:

  • Introduction to biosafety, risk groups, biosafety levels, and “code of conduct when working with pathogens”
  • Risk assessment and AHDL agents of concern, descriptions and signs and symptoms of infection
  • Bloodborne pathogens review
  • Post-exposure self-aid
  • Working safety in a biological BSC
  • Spill cleanup inside and outside primary containment
  • Waste management
  • Disinfection and sterilization
  • Suite decontamination
  • Housekeeping audits
  • Packaging material movement
  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Operating risk levels
  • Entry and exit procedures
  • PPE and PAPR training
  • Hand hygiene
  • Necropsy safety
  • Downdraft table and pass-through
  • Introduction to the BSL-3 facility
  • BSL-3 facility walk-thru
  • Hands-on practicum

To determine each student’s performance and level of understanding of the topics presented students were assessed with written test assessments following every topic and scenario assessments to demonstrate competency in basic biosafety principles and practices in a BSL-3 setting. Upon successful completion of the course, each student was presented with a certificate of completion.