Practical 1

My agent =
PART A Hazard characterisation

1. Identify what are the possible biosafety hazards for your agent.
2. Complete the Hazard Characterisation Sheet attached. You will need to search the
internet or other sources for scientific data. This will provide the information for the
risk assessment in the next section.
3. Use the template on the next page. Use extra paper if you need.

Hazard characterisation sheet (tick where applicable)

Name of biological agent (genus/species etc.): Mycobacterium tuberculosis

1. Type of agent:
/ Bacterium Virus Fungus Parasite
Cell Culture Prion Biological toxin Others:

2. Risk Group 1 2 / 3 4 Unknown

3. Pathogenicity
/ Highly pathogenic Pathogenic
Opportunistic pathogen Potential pathogen

4. Infectious dose Unknown / Known = low infectious dose of less

than 10 microorganisms

5. Host range
/ Human Animal Plants Others :
6. Communicability
/ Human to Animal to Human to Animal to
human human animal animal

7. Route of infection
/ Respiratory tract/ inhalation Mucosal membranes/ eyes, nose, mouth
Percutaneous / break in skin Gastrointestinal tract/ ingestion

8. Mode of transmission
Direct contact Indirect contact / Human-human Human-animal
Vector borne Inanimate Food, water Air, aerosols
objects

9. Individual highly at risk

Pregnant woman Immunocompromised
/ Aged person/ children / Others: homeless persons, injection drug
users, and persons with HIV infection.

10. History of Laboratory –Acquired Infection (LAI)

/ Yes Rare No reports

11. Vaccine / Yes No

available?

12. Cure available? / Yes No

For the procedures performed on this biological agent:

13. Will aerosols be produced in large / Yes No
amounts?

14. Will sharps be used? Yes / No

15. Are spills/ splashes likely to happen? / Yes No

Part B : Risk identification

1. Identify what risks can arise due to the hazard. One hazard can give risk to several
risks. The risk can be to the laboratory worker, people around the lab, or the
environment.
2. Identify under what conditions/ situations will the risk be manifested. Remember, just
by having a hazard doesn't mean that it will result in a risk.
3. Identify who will be at risk.

Table 1.1: (Give me a title)

Hazard Risk Under what conditions can Who is at risk
this happen
What can happen

1 Mycobacterium Infection via respiratory Generation of infectious Lab workers

tuberculosis route aerosols when vertexing
samples.

2 ……..

3 …….

4 Mycobacterium Unintentional release Contaminated waste was Lab workers/

tuberculosis not properly autoclaved support workers/
community