Biosafety level designations are based on a composite of the design features, construction, containment facilities, equipment, practices, and operational procedures required for working with agents from the various risk groups.
Classification of microorganisms according to risk group.
| Risk Groups | Risk Assessment | Explanations |
| Risk Group 1 (RG1) | No or low individual and community risk | A microorganism that is unlikely to cause human or animal disease. E.g. S. cerevisiae (yeast), Lactobacillus, B. subtilis |
| Risk Group 2 (RG2) | Moderate individual risk, low community risk | A pathogen that can cause human or animal disease but is unlikely to be a serious hazard to laboratory workers, the community, livestock or the environment. Laboratory exposures may cause serious infection, but effective treatment and preventive measures are available and the risk of spread of infection is limited. E.g. Streptococcus, Herpes virus, most mammalian cell lines |
| Risk Group 3 (RG3) | High individual risk, low community risk | A pathogen that usually causes serious human or animal disease but does not ordinarily spread from one infected individual to another. Effective treatment and preventive measures are available. E.g. Yersinia pestis, HIV, SARS virus |
| Risk Group 4 (RG4) | High individual risk and community risk | A pathogen that usually causes serious human or animal disease and that can be readily transmitted from one individual to another, directly or indirectly. Effective treatment and preventive measures are not usually available. E.g. Ebola virus, Marburg virus, Lassa virus |
Laboratory facilities are designated as:
- basic – Biosafety Level 1,
- basic – Biosafety Level 2,
- containment – Biosafety Level 3, and
- maximum containment – Biosafety Level 4.
Table of Contents
Bio-safety Level One
- Facilities and Practices
Standard, open bench, no special facilities needed; typical of most microbiology teaching labs; access may be restricted. - Risk of Infection and Class of Pathogens
Low infection hazard; microbes not generally considered pathogens and will not colonize the bodies of healthy persons; Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus megaterium, Lactobacillus, Saccharomyces.
Bio-safety Level Two
- Facilities and Practices
At least level 1 facility and practices; plus personnel must be trained in handling pathogens; lab coats and gloves required; safety cabinets may be needed; biohazard signs posted; access restricted. - Risk of Infection and Class of Pathogens
Agents with moderate potential to infect; class 2 pathogens can cause disease in healthy people but can be contained with proper facilities; most pathogens belong to class 2; including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Corynebacterium diphtheriae; pathogenic helminths; hepatitis A, B, and rabies viruses; Cryptococcus and Blastomyces.
Relation of risk groups to biosafety levels, practices, and equipment
| Risk Group | Biosafety Level | Laboratory Type | Laboratory Practices | Safety Equipment |
| 1 | Basic-Biosafety Level 1 | Basic teaching, research | Good Microbiological Techniques (GMT) | None; open benchwork |
| 2 | Basic-Biosafety Level 2 | Primary health services; diagnostic services, research | GMT plus protective clothing, biohazard sign | Open bench plus BSC for potential aerosols |
| 3 | Containment-Biosafety Level 3 | Special diagnostic services, research | As Level 2 plus special clothing, controlled access, directional airflow | BSC and/or other primary devices for all activities |
| 4 | Maximum containment- Biosafety Level 4 | Dangerous pathogen units | As Level 3 plus airlock entry, shower exit, special waste disposal | Class III BSC, or positive pressure suits in conjunction with Class II BSCs, double-ended autoclave (through the wall), filtered air |
Bio-safety Level Three
- Facilities and Practices
Minimum of level 2 facilities and practices; plus all manipulation performed in safety cabinets; lab designed with special containment features (airlock, negative air pressure); only personnel with special clothing (body fully covered) can enter; no unsterilized materials can leave the lab; personnel warned, monitored, and vaccinated against infection dangers. - Risk of Infection and Class of Pathogens
Agents can cause severe or lethal disease especially when inhaled; class 3 microbes include Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Francisella tularensis, Yersinia pestis, Brucella spp., Coxiella burnetii, Coccidioides immitis, and yellow fever, WEE, and HIV.
Bio safety Level Four
- Facilities and Practices
Minimum of level 3 facilities and practices; plus facilities must be isolated with very controlled access (increased surveillance, entry security such as proximity key card, retinal scan); clothing changes and showers (chemical showers) required for all eligible people entering and leaving; completely sealed doors, rooms with negative pressure; materials must be autoclaved or fumigated prior to entering and leaving the lab. - Risk of Infection and Class of Pathogens
Agents are highly virulent microbes that pose extreme risk for morbidity and mortality when inhaled in droplet or aerosol form; most are exotic flaviviruses; arenaviruses, including Lassa fever virus; or filoviruses, including Ebola and Marburg viruses.
Reference and further reading
- Download Laboratory Biosafety Manual – Third Edition from World Health Organization
- Table Source: Laboratory Biosafety Manual published by WHO
