CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL RISK FACTORS CHARACTERIZATION AT MORPHOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORIES OF A UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Introduction: Human exposure to biological and chemical agents represent a high level of risk to the health and integrity at laboratories facilities, also constitute an important aspect in the establishment of an adequate Biosecurity Program. Objetive: the purpose of this research is to characterize the chemical and biological risk factors at the morphology and microbiology laboratories of a University, using a descriptive transversal analytical and empirical study, where the risk levels and biosafety conditions of the laboratories were diagnosed implementing the guidelines of the GTC 45: 2012, in order to evaluate the risk levels of the chemical and biological factors, in conjunction with the methodology of the WHO and Technical Standards of the INSHT of Spain, to categorize the pathogenic agents by risk groups, establish the levels of current containment of laboratories and define the effects of higher prevalence on health and/or the environment. Results: 36 Biological Risk Factors (BRF) and 63 Chemical Risk Factors (CRF) were found. Microbiological Laboratory showed 2 agents with Risk Level (RL) I and RL II, in which a 10.1% were Not Acceptable and 21.3% were Acceptable With Controls, 96% of Biological Agents belong to Risk Group (RG) 2 and 4% to RG 3. Morphology Laboratory revealed 16.67% between RL I and II, 10% belong to CRF, 40% were Not Acceptable, 67% of the agents were categorized as RG 2 and 33% as RG 3.