PPE(Personal Protective Equipment)

Though I am not a PPE (personal protective equipment) expert, I could not avoid to write.

Recently many people are doing business of PPE (personal protective equipment). This is a very good thing. I never made negative comment about a business in my whole life but still I would like to know from whom are involved in this business, what is the Bio-safety Level of your PPE? You know that if your sold PPE is below the minimum Bio-safety level 2 it will not provide any protection for COVID 19 or CORONA. I think I am as secure/protected as I using your PPE but actually I am more in secured and unprotected due to bad quality of your product. My solemn intention, do not reserve me in the name of your business, please protect me by confirming your PPE accurate level. You can do business by money thing but don’t do any unethical business which may us lead to death. But please don't do business by putting us at risk of death. I shared the general specification of the following PPE collected from the internet. Hopefully, as a buyer you should know your Bio-safety level and as a seller also. My intention is not to dishonor any one, so please don't take it personally.

Special thanks to my honorable sir Dr. Shafi M Tareq for giving me the primary idea.

Below information collected from Internet:

Bio safety Level 1 (BSL-1)

BSL-1 labs are used to study infectious agents or toxins not known to consistently cause disease in healthy adults. They follow basic safety procedures, called Standard Microbiological Practices and require no special equipment or design features. Standard engineering controls in BSL-1 laboratories include easily cleaned surfaces that are able to withstand the basic chemicals used in the laboratory.

Bio safety Level 2 (BSL-2)

BSL-2 laboratories are used to study moderate-risk infectious agents or toxins that pose a risk if accidentally inhaled, swallowed, or exposed to the skin. Design requirements for BSL-2 laboratories include hand washing sinks, eye washing stations in case of accidents, and doors that close automatically and lock. BSL-2 labs must also have access to equipment that can decontaminate laboratory waste, including an incinerator, an autoclave, and/or another method, depending on the biological risk assessment.

Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3)

BSL-3 laboratories are used to study infectious agents or toxins that may be transmitted through the air and cause potentially lethal infection through inhalation exposure. Researchers perform all experiments in biosafety cabinets that use carefully controlled air flow or sealed enclosures to prevent infection. BSL-3 laboratories are designed to be easily decontaminated. These laboratories must use controlled, or “directional,” air flow to ensure that air flows from non-laboratory areas (such as the hallway) into laboratory areas as an additional safety measure.

Other engineered safety features include the use of two self-closing, or interlocked, doors, sealed windows and wall surfaces, and filtered ventilation systems. BSL-3 labs must also have access to equipment that can decontaminate laboratory waste, including an incinerator, an autoclave, and/or another method, depending on the biological risk assessment.

Bio safety Level 4 (BSL-4)

BSL-4 laboratories are used to study infectious agents or toxins that pose a high risk of aerosol-transmitted laboratory infections and life-threatening disease for which no vaccine or therapy is available. The laboratories incorporate all BSL 3 features and occupy safe, isolated zones within a larger building or may be housed in a separate, dedicated building. Access to BSL-4 laboratories is carefully controlled and requires significant training.

There are two types of BSL-4 laboratories:

Cabinet laboratory – all work with infectious agents or toxins is done in a Class III Biosafety Cabinet  with very carefully designed procedures to contain any potential contamination. In addition, the laboratory space is designed to also prevent contamination of other spaces. 

 Suit laboratory – Laboratory personnel are required to wear full-body, air-supplied suits, which are the most sophisticated type of personal protective equipment . All personnel shower before exiting the laboratory and go through a series of procedures designed to fully decontaminate them before leaving. 

The engineering controls required are different for BSL-4 cabinet and suit laboratories. For either type, they are extensive and supplemented by carefully designed procedures and practices.