New WHO guidance could expand access to lab facilities Laboratory biosafety is fundamental to controlling exposure to pathogens, protecting the laboratory workforce and the wider community against inadvertent exposures or releases. Since 1983, the World Health Organization (WHO) Laboratory Biosafety Manual (LBM) has encouraged countries to implement basic concepts in biological safety and to develop national codes of practice for the safe handling of pathogenic microorganisms in laboratories. But as technologies continue to evolve, and with them potential threats and benefits to laboratory safety, so too must approaches to biosafety. With revision toward the fourth edition of the LBM under way, we propose a shift in focus to a risk-based, technology-neutral, and cost-effective approach to biosafety, making sure that laboratory facilities, safety equipment, and work practices are locally relevant, proportionate, and sustainable. This will allow more flexibility in laboratory design, reduce focus on pathogen risk groups and biosafety levels as the de facto starting point of laboratory considerations, and place more emphasis on human factors and worker training. Improved sustainability of laboratory operations through lower construction and operating costs, particularly in resource-limited settings, may pave the way for equitable access to clinical and public health laboratory tests and biomedical research opportunities, without compromising safety.

中文翻译：

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基于风险的全球实验室生物安全重启

新的世卫组织指南可以扩大对实验室设施的使用 实验室生物安全对于控制病原体接触、保护实验室工作人员和更广泛的社区免受无意接触或释放至关重要。自 1983 年以来，世界卫生组织 (WHO) 实验室生物安全手册 (LBM) 鼓励​​各国实施生物安全的基本概念，并为在实验室中安全处理病原微生物制定国家操作规范。但随着技术的不断发展，以及随之而来的对实验室安全的潜在威胁和好处，生物安全方法也必须如此。随着第四版 LBM 的修订正在进行中，我们建议将重点转移到基于风险、技术中立和具有成本效益的生物安全方法上，确保实验室设施、安全设备和工作实践与当地相关、相称且可持续。这将使实验室设计更加灵活，减少将病原体风险组和生物安全水平作为实验室考虑的实际起点，并更加重视人为因素和工人培训。通过降低建设和运营成本来提高实验室运营的可持续性，特别是在资源有限的环境中，可以为公平获得临床和公共卫生实验室测试和生物医学研究机会铺平道路，同时不影响安全性。减少对病原体风险群体和生物安全水平的关注作为实验室考虑的事实上的起点，并更加重视人为因素和工人培训。通过降低建设和运营成本来提高实验室运营的可持续性，特别是在资源有限的环境中，可以为公平获得临床和公共卫生实验室测试和生物医学研究机会铺平道路，同时不影响安全性。减少对病原体风险群体和生物安全水平的关注作为实验室考虑的事实上的起点，并更加重视人为因素和工人培训。通过降低建设和运营成本来提高实验室运营的可持续性，特别是在资源有限的环境中，可以为公平获得临床和公共卫生实验室测试和生物医学研究机会铺平道路，同时不影响安全性。