World Health Organization Laboratory Biosafety Manual 4th Edition
Dear colleagues,
The WHO Laboratory biosafety manual, 4th edition (2020) and associated monographs is now published and can be downloaded from: https://apps.who.int/iris/
The previous versions of the manual described the classification of biological agents and laboratories in terms of risk/hazard groups and biosafety/containment levels – which, at that time, was a logical starting point for the handling and containment of biological agents. Nonetheless, it has led to the misconception that the risk group of a biological agent directly corresponds to the biosafety level of a laboratory discounting the fact that actual risk of any given scenario is influenced not only by the agent, but also by the procedure performed and competency of the laboratory personnel.
The fourth edition, builds on the risk assessment framework introduced in the third edition. A thorough, evidence-based and transparent assessment of the risks allows safety measures to be balanced with the actual risk of working with biological agents on a case-by-case basis – enabling countries to implement economically feasible and sustainable laboratory biosafety and biosecurity policies and practices that are relevant to their individual circumstances and priorities.
The fourth edition comes with several associated monographs to provide more detailed information and help implement systems and strategies on specialized topics. These monographs include:
- biosafety programme management. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/
bitstream/handle/10665/337963/ 9789240011434-eng.pdf? sequence=1&isAllowed=y - risk assessment. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/
bitstream/handle/10665/337966/ 9789240011458-eng.pdf? sequence=1&isAllowed=y - biological safety cabinets and other primary containment devices. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/
bitstream/handle/10665/337957/ 9789240011335-eng.pdf? sequence=1&isAllowed=y - personal protective equipment. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/
bitstream/handle/10665/337961/ 9789240011410-eng.pdf? sequence=1&isAllowed=y - laboratory design and maintenance. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/
bitstream/handle/10665/337960/ 9789240011397-eng.pdf? sequence=1&isAllowed=y - decontamination and waste management. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/
bitstream/handle/10665/337958/ 9789240011359-eng.pdf? sequence=1&isAllowed=y - outbreak preparedness and resilience. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/
bitstream/handle/10665/337959/ 9789240011373-eng.pdf? sequence=1&isAllowed=y