Working with Microorganisms
Approach to Working with Microorganisms
Microorganisms are living organisms (such as a bacteria, fungi or virus), too small to be seen by the naked eye but visible under the microscope. The basic approach to working with microorganisms is to regard them all as potential pathogens and to handle them with standard microbiological techniques to minimise the risk to laboratory staff and the environment.
AS/NSZ 2243.3:2010 Safety in Laboratories Part 3: Microbiological safety and containment outlines requirements for laboratories handling microorganisms. The Standard specifies different containment requirements for facilities depending on the type of microorganisms being handled. Compliance with the relevant sections of AS/NZS 2243.3 is considered as a minimum requirement for anyone handling microorganisms.
Classification of Microorganisms - Risk Groups
The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests each country draw up risk groups according to the microorganisms encountered within its boundaries. The following classification has been drawn up for Australia and New Zealand and is based on the pathogenicity of the agent, the mode of transmission and host range of the agent, the availability of effective preventive measures, and the availability of effective treatment.
Risk Group 1 (low individual and community risk)
A microorganism that is unlikely to cause human, plant or animal disease.
Risk Group 2 (moderate individual risk, limited community risk)
A microorganism that is unlikely to be a significant risk to laboratory workers, the community, livestock or the environment; laboratory exposures may cause infection, but effective treatment and preventive measures are available, and the risk of spread is limited.
Risk Group 3 (high individual risk, limited to moderate community risk)
A microorganism that usually causes serious human or animal disease and may present a serious a significant risk to laboratory workers. It could present a limited to moderate risk if spread in the community or the environment, but there are usually effective preventive measures or treatment available.
Risk Group 4 (high individual and community risk)
A microorganism that usually produces life-threatening human or animal disease, represents a significant risk to laboratory workers and may be readily transmissible from one individual to another. Effective treatment and preventive measures are not usually available.
A list of examples of organisms classified into their Risk Group is provided in AS2243.3. The list includes examples of bacteria, fungi, viruses and prions. In addition to the Risk Group classification in AS/NZS 2243.3, Pathogen Safety Data Sheets (SDS) are available through other sources, in most cases the information and grouping is the same as in Australia:
- PHAC (Public Health Agency of Canada) Pathogen Safety Data Sheets and Risk Assessments;
- American Biological Safety Association webpage listings of micro-organisms including risk groupings; and
- AS/NZS 2243.3 2010 - available via the UNE online library database
It is recommended that before starting work with any potentially infectious microorganism that you download a Pathogen SDS and use this to help you conduct a risk assessment of your work.
The risk group classification of a microorganisms determines the level of physical containment required to conduct work with that microorganism. An overview is provided in the table below and more information is found on the PC2 facility webpage.
| Risk Group | Physical Containment | Level of Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Risk Group 1 (RG1) | Physical Containment 1 (PC1) | Low |
| Risk Group 2 (RG2) | Physical Containment 2 (PC2) | Low to Moderate |
| Risk Group 3 (RG3) | Physical Containment 3 (PC3) | Moderate to High |
| Risk Group 4 (RG4) | Physical Containment 4 (PC4) | High to Very High |
Security Sensitive Biological Agents
The Security Sensitive Biological Agents (SSBA) Regulatory Scheme includes:
- The National Health Security Act 2007;
- The National Health Security Regulations 2008; and
- The Security Sensitive Biological Agent (SSBA) Standards.
The SSBA Regulatory Scheme was implemented in 2009 to improve the security of biological agents of security concern in Australia. The scheme regulates dealings (including receiving, holding, using and storing) of specific biological agents.
A two-tiered list of security-sensitive biological agents (SSBA's) has been established with the regulation of Tier 1 organisms commencing on the 31 January 2009 and the regulation of Tier 2 organisms commencing on the 31 January 2010.
Further information on the Regulatory Scheme can be found at www.health.gov.au/ssba. Of particular note is the Security Risk Assessment and Risk Management Plan template which has been developed as a checklist for entities and facilities to use after completing a security risk assessment to ensure all risks have been identified and treated. The template can be used as a mechanism to check for compliance with the SSBA Standards.
