Basic Information
Microbiology facilites, pathology labs and the like, tend to be popular locations in sci-fi but, given that the general public rarely see the inside of such places, most people have no idea what biosecurity looks like. ArcanaWiki is here to help:
The following information is taken Verbatim from the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 and gives the minimum standards under English Law1 for the design of non-industrial facilities handling biological hazards:
PART II
CONTAINMENT MEASURES FOR HEALTH AND VETERINARY CARE FACILITIES, LABORATORIES AND ANIMAL ROOMS
| Containment Level | ||||
| Containment Measure | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 01 | The workplace is to be separated from any other activities in the same building. | No | Yes | Yes |
| 02 | Input air and extract air to the workplace are to be filtered using HEPA or equivalent. | No | Yes, on extract air | Yes, on input and double on extract air |
| 03 | Access is to be restricted to authorised persons only. | Yes | Yes | Yes, via air-lock key procedure |
| 04 | The workplace is to be sealable to permit disinfection. | No | Yes | Yes |
| 05 | Specified disinfection procedure | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 06 | The workplace is to be maintained at an air pressure negative to atmosphere. | No | Yes | Yes |
| 07 | Efficient vector control e.g rodents and insects. | Yes, for animal containment | Yes, for animal containment | Yes |
| 08 | Surfaces impervious to water and easy to clean. | Yes, for bench | Yes, for bench and floor (and walls for animal containment) | Yes, for bench, floor, walls and ceiling |
| 09 | Surfaces resistant to acids, alkalis, solvents, disinfectants. | Yes, for bench | Yes, for bench and floor (and walls for animal containment) | Yes, for bench, floor, walls and ceiling |
| 10 | Safe storage of biological agents. | Yes | Yes | Yes, secure storage |
| 11 | An observation window, or alternative, is to be present, so that occupants can be seen | No | Yes | Yes |
| 12 | A laboratory is to contain its own equipment | No | Yes, so far as is reasonably practicable | Yes |
| 13 | Infected material, including any animal, is to be handled in a safety cabinet or isolator or other suitable containment. | Yes, where aerosol produced | Yes, where aerosol produced | Yes |
| 14 | Incinerator for disposal of animal carcases | Accessible | Accessible | Yes, on site |
For reference the containment levels referred to are (from the same regulations):
Group 1—unlikely to cause human disease; .
Group 2—can cause human disease and may be a hazard to employees; it is unlikely to spread to the community and there is usually effective prophylaxis or treatment available; .
Group 3—can cause severe human disease and may be a serious hazard to employees; it may spread to the community, but there is usually effective prophylaxis or treatment available; .
Group 4—causes severe human disease and is a serious hazard to employees; it is likely to spread to the community and there is usually no effective prophylaxis or treatment available.
Noting that any facility may be designed to a higher level than legally required and some group 1 pathogens will require higher containment due to the risk of economic or environmental damage (these regulations are only related to the protection of human health).
Sources
COSHH 02 Sch3, live from the UK government's legislation database.
Game and Story Use
- Notes for the GM that wants an authentic biosecure area - like a path lab, autopsy facility, animal testing lab or general microbiology lab.
- Failing to use the appropriate biosecurity level - whether because the lab was cutting costs and thought they could get away with it, or because the pathogen was more dangerous than originally thought - is a great start for any disease outbreak storyline.
- Note that most of these aren't easily doable in your garage. Street-level PCs may have a hard time doing research to advance disease-related plots without endangering the community.