There are multiple industries that deal with potentially hazardous materials daily. Treating and managing hazardous waste is necessary, but also extremely risky. Businesses that have research, laboratory, production, and bio-containment environments need to handle these hazardous materials with great care, keeping their team, research, and the environment safe. This is where the critical concept of biosafety comes into play.
Biosafety is about implementing practices and procedures, training and safety equipment, and healthcare infrastructure to safely work in an environment that deals with biological hazards. Biosafety encompasses three concepts – controlling the biohazard, biocontainment, and bio-protection. It encompasses implementing appropriate measures to counter the risks associated with handling and treating hazardous waste materials. Biosafety levels (BSLs) protocols are designed according to the type of risk.
As a leader in effluent and biowaste decontamination systems, Suncombe understands the biosafety level assessment process and its importance in hazardous waste treatment and management. This blog highlights the essential role of BSLs in managing waste streams generated by industries dealing with hazardous materials.
The Four Biosafety Levels – BSL-1 to BSL-4
Biosafety levels are a specific set of protocols designed to protect people, research, and the environment from exposure to hazardous risks.
There are a total of four levels, from BSL 1 to BSL 4, implemented and defined by regulatory bodies such as the National Institute of Health (NIH), the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). BSL 1 presents the lowest level of risk, while BSL 4 has the highest.
The Importance of Biosafety Levels
The effective implementation of BSL is extremely important in research labs, production, and other industries dealing with hazardous materials, generating biowaste, and requiring biohazard waste collection. Here are some of the key reasons why:
1. Protecting Your Team
The primary objective of implementing biosafety levels is to protect your team from potential exposure to harmful and hazardous materials. By classifying the labs and production processes according to the biosafety level assessment process and the types of biohazards they handle, you can train and equip them with the necessary tools and knowledge to continue working safely.
Each rise in the biosafety level demands more stringent safety measures according to the pathogen being studied or effluent being dealt with. You can minimise even the remotest chance of risks by following appropriate safety protocols.
2. Preventing Contamination and Cross-Contamination
Adhering to the appropriate biosafety levels prevents cross-contamination between experiments and processes. Ultimately, this helps prevent the erroneous release of pathogens into the laboratory setting or accidental disposal of hazardous waste streams into the environment.
BSL measures maintain controlled laboratory environments and production processes and greatly reduce the potential for catastrophic consequences. Following the necessary biosafety levels helps establish safe and effective research and production.
3. Complying with Regulatory Needs and Ensure Standardisation
Regulatory bodies are stringent about following appropriate BSL protocols. Failing to comply with the necessary compliance protocols may cause you to be fined or even end up on the receiving end of legal action, leading to reputational damage.
BSL protocols also ensure the standardisation of safety measures across pharmaceuticals, biopharma, and laboratories globally. Standardisation of regulatory needs makes it easier for production facilities and laboratories to refer to universally recognised guidelines and adopt best practices.
4. Ensures Environment and Public Health
Following biosafety levels and applying classifications to production and laboratory processes not only ensures the safety of personnel but also the public at large.
Responsible biohazard waste collection that adheres to biosafety protocols prevents dangerous pathogens and hazardous chemicals from being released into the environment, therefore reducing the risk of potential public health crises and irreversible damage to the environment.
How Suncombe’s EDS and ETP Systems Leverage BSL in Hazardous Waste Treatment
Effluent Decontamination Systems (EDS) or Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP) use the BSL classification to determine the treatment measures. When the risk is classified as BSL 1, simple treatment measures are adequate, whereas BSL-4, having the highest risk level, calls for the most stringent measures.
At Suncombe Ltd, our speciality lies in treating hazardous wastes, with innovative solutions focussed on secure handling and disposal. We design and manufacture batch biowaste treatment systems to contain a specific volume of liquid waste and provide treatment according to a robust process, followed by a comprehensive analysis and a safe release. Our systems follow BSL protocols, where we ensure stringent processes in waste decontamination across all four BSL levels, with a particular focus on BSL 3 and 4.
We offer batch and continuous flow BioWaste decontamination systems. Our systems can support thermal, chemical, and chemical inactivation, ensuring complete and effective treatment. Post-decontamination, our experts ensure environmentally friendly biohazard waste collection and disposal.
Suncombe’s heavy-duty BioWaste Decontamination BioKill Systems deliver excellent treatment of hazardous waste and biowaste generated by research, laboratory, production, and biocontainment facilities. Our BioKill systems selection guide includes ChemTreatEDS™, BioWasteSink™, NanoEDS™, MicroEDS®, EDSbatch® and MaxiEDS™. Whether you need a low-volume or high-volume EDS, our hazardous waste treatment systems can be customised to suit a single laboratory room to a large multi-user facility.
Browse our selection guide and datasheets on our effluent decontamination for more information.
Partner with Suncombe Ltd for Unparalleled Service in Hazardous Waste Treatment
Our 60+ years of designing and manufacturing ETPs and EDS systems have given us a complete understanding of the technical complexities involved in biowaste and hazardous waste treatment. Our vastly experienced teams are fully conversant with biowaste effluent decontamination systems, containment facilities, and the processes involved.
Suncombe’s advanced methodologies and environmentally sound solutions ensure the secure and compliant management of hazardous materials.
You can count on our engineering expertise and advanced solutions for your unit’s waste decontamination needs. Learn more by contacting one of our biowaste specialists on +44 (0) 203 089 0280.
