Biohazard

A biohazard is a biological material that could pose a risk to the well-being of living organisms, particularly humans. This could be anything from a specific virus, bacteria, or toxin that can have negative health implications. This term, and its corresponding symbol, are employed as cautionary indicators to alert people to the potential dangers so they can take appropriate safety measures. The biohazard emblem was created in 1966 by Charles Baldwin, an environmental-health engineer at Dow Chemical Company.

This symbol appears on various biological materials that present a significant health risk, such as samples containing viruses or used needles. It is also represented by the Unicode character U+2623 (☣).

Standards for labeling biohazards are set globally by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), as well as by OSHA and ISO. The primary aim is to allow workers to quickly discern the risk level of a biohazard through color and design standardization. Different colors and text labels such as “DANGER,” “WARNING,” “CAUTION,” and “NOTICE” are used to signify the severity of the biohazard, from fatal risks to non-injury messages like hygiene recommendations.

In the U.S., standards for biohazards are also regulated by local and state governments and are integrated into OSHA’s Hazardous Communications (HazCom) regulations.

For shipping purposes, biohazardous substances are categorized by UN numbers, which indicate the nature and level of risk. These categories range from substances that can cause permanent harm or death in humans and animals to substances used for diagnostic or investigative purposes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States also classify diseases and substances into different biohazard levels, known as Biosafety Levels (BSL) 1-4 or P1 through P4. These levels range from minimum to extreme risk, and laboratories are also classified according to these levels.

BSL 1 includes low-risk substances like certain bacteria and viruses. BSL 2 comprises organisms that cause mild diseases and are less likely to be aerosolized. BSL 3 includes organisms that can cause severe diseases but for which treatments exist. Finally, BSL 4 includes viruses that can cause fatal diseases for which there are no available treatments. Special precautions, including advanced safety gear, are mandatory at this level.

Overall, this information guides professionals in understanding the severity of biohazards and taking necessary precautions.