Universal Precautions
One of the fundamental principles of a biosafety program is adherence to the practice of universal precaution. This may be defined as the minimum standard of work performance necessary to prevent exposure to pathogenic agents, and includes education, personal protective equipment, hand washing, and safe work practices. It requires the individual to assume that material is infectious and act accordingly.
If the pathogen or the mode of transmission is not known, additional diligence must be taken to prevent inhalation, absorption, ingestion or percutaneous inoculation. The more knowledgeable one is about the organism being used, the easier it is to take the necessary precautions. Risk of exposure is greatly minimized by the use of personal protective equipment, such as masks, lab coats and gloves. The use of a mask can be eliminated by using engineering controls such as a certified biological safety cabinet, which prevents the release of aerosolized material outside the cabinet. Frequent hand washing has been proven to be the single most effective means of avoiding infection. Good work practices can significantly reduce the risk of aerosol production and contamination of experimental equipment and works surfaces, thus containing the biological agent and reducing the risk of infection.