I85PREP
⌘ K
ABSA CBSP study materials
ABSA CBSP study resources

ABSA CBSP practice questions

One question at a time. Build your ABSA CBSP understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Which statement best defines biological risk assessment?

  1. The process of scheduling routine equipment calibration
  2. The process of selecting and purchasing the appropriate biosafety cabinet
  3. The process of identifying hazards, evaluating exposure, and characterizing the resulting risk Correct answer.
  4. The process of writing standard operating procedures for a laboratory

Explanation

Risk assessment is a systematic process that combines hazard identification with exposure evaluation to characterize risk. It is distinct from control selection, procedure writing, or equipment maintenance, which follow from or support the assessment.

Question 2Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

In risk assessment terminology, what does 'hazard' refer to?

  1. The regulatory classification of a pathogen
  2. The severity of harm already caused
  3. A source or situation with potential to cause harm Correct answer.
  4. The probability that an incident will occur

Explanation

A hazard is a source, situation, or agent with the potential to cause harm. Probability and severity are dimensions of risk, and regulatory classification is a labeling scheme rather than the hazard itself.

Question 3Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Risk is generally characterized as a function of which two elements?

  1. Cost and benefit
  2. Containment and decontamination
  3. Frequency and duration
  4. Likelihood and consequence Correct answer.

Explanation

Risk combines the likelihood that an adverse event occurs with the severity of the consequence if it does. Frequency and duration are exposure modifiers, while cost, benefit, and containment are management considerations.

Question 4Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Within a risk assessment, what is the purpose of characterizing exposure?

  1. To determine the purchase cost of personal protective equipment
  2. To identify which disinfectant is cheapest per liter
  3. To estimate how, how much, and by which route an agent could reach a host Correct answer.
  4. To document the training records of laboratory personnel

Explanation

Exposure characterization describes the route, magnitude, and circumstances under which an agent could contact a host. It is central to linking a hazard to an actual risk estimate rather than to administrative or procurement tasks.

Question 5Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Which is the most appropriate first step when beginning a biological risk assessment for a new procedure?

  1. Identify the biological agents and the procedures involved Correct answer.
  2. Publish the final risk assessment
  3. Schedule medical surveillance for all staff
  4. Order additional biosafety cabinets

Explanation

Assessment begins by identifying the agents and the procedures, since the hazard and exposure potential flow from those. Controls, documentation, and health surveillance are determined afterward based on the findings.

Question 6Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Which factor most directly increases the aerosol exposure risk of a laboratory procedure?

  1. Labeling reagents with the date of preparation
  2. Recording the procedure in a bound notebook
  3. Storing supplies in closed cabinets
  4. Performing the work on an open bench with vigorous mixing Correct answer.

Explanation

Open-bench work with vigorous mixing generates aerosols that can be inhaled, directly raising exposure potential. Documentation, labeling, and storage practices do not generate or amplify aerosols.

Question 7Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Which statement best describes the hierarchy of controls as applied to biological risk?

  1. Administrative controls are always preferred over engineering controls
  2. Elimination and substitution are the most effective, followed by engineering and administrative controls Correct answer.
  3. Controls should be selected randomly to diversify protection
  4. Personal protective equipment is the most reliable control because it is worn by the worker

Explanation

The hierarchy ranks controls from most to least effective: elimination/substitution, then engineering, administrative, and PPE. PPE is considered the least reliable because its effectiveness depends heavily on correct use.

Question 8Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

What is the primary purpose of a biological risk management program?

  1. To replace the need for training
  2. To reduce risk to an acceptable level through planned controls and monitoring Correct answer.
  3. To transfer all liability to individual workers
  4. To eliminate all laboratory work with infectious agents

Explanation

Risk management applies controls, monitoring, and review to bring residual risk to an acceptable level rather than to eliminate the work or shift responsibility. Training remains essential regardless of program design.

Question 9Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

A laboratory plans to centrifuge infectious samples without sealed safety cups. Which control measure best addresses the resulting aerosol risk?

  1. Increasing the room ventilation rate
  2. Reducing the centrifuge run time
  3. Using sealed safety cups or a rotor with aerosol-tight lids Correct answer.
  4. Posting a warning sign on the centrifuge door

Explanation

Sealed safety cups or aerosol-tight rotors are engineering controls that contain aerosols at the source. Signage, run-time changes, and general ventilation do not reliably prevent release and inhalation of aerosols.

Question 10Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Which combination best reflects the factors considered when assigning a biosafety level to work with a pathogen?

  1. Building age, staff seniority, and budget
  2. Agent risk group, route of transmission, and planned procedures Correct answer.
  3. Supplier name, catalog number, and lot size
  4. Publication record, grant funding, and journal impact

Explanation

Biosafety level assignment depends on the agent's risk group, its transmission route, and the procedures that may generate aerosols or large volumes. Organizational and financial factors are irrelevant to the biological risk determination.

Question 11Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

A procedure with a known high aerosol-generation potential is moved into a certified biological safety cabinet. How does this change the risk assessment?

  1. It eliminates the need for any further risk assessment
  2. It reduces the exposure component through an engineering control but does not remove the hazard Correct answer.
  3. It has no effect because cabinets only protect the product
  4. It increases the hazard because the cabinet concentrates aerosols

Explanation

A cabinet reduces exposure by containing aerosols at the source, lowering risk, but the infectious hazard remains and periodic reassessment is still required. Cabinets provide both personnel and product protection depending on class.

Question 12Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Which of the following best illustrates a substitution control in biological risk management?

  1. Requiring gloves during all procedures
  2. Posting a biohazard sign at the door
  3. Installing a hands-free sink
  4. Replacing a virulent wild-type strain with an attenuated, non-pathogenic strain for training Correct answer.

Explanation

Substitution replaces a hazardous agent or process with a less hazardous alternative, such as an attenuated strain. Gloves, sinks, and signage are PPE, engineering, and administrative controls respectively.

Question 13Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

A risk assessment identifies that a sharps procedure cannot be avoided. Which management action is most consistent with the hierarchy of controls?

  1. Providing sharps containers at the point of use and engineering out unnecessary needle use Correct answer.
  2. Requiring staff to sign an acknowledgment form
  3. Providing additional training without any equipment change
  4. Relying solely on written warnings to staff

Explanation

When elimination is not feasible, engineering controls such as sharps containers and needleless devices should be used before administrative measures. Training and acknowledgments alone do not remove the physical hazard.

Question 14Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

What is the role of a biological risk assessment in selecting personal protective equipment?

  1. PPE is chosen based on the lowest available cost
  2. PPE selection is independent of the agent and procedure
  3. PPE is selected to address the specific exposure routes and agents identified in the assessment Correct answer.
  4. PPE is chosen before the assessment to save time

Explanation

PPE must match the exposure routes and agents identified during assessment, such as splash protection for large volumes or respiratory protection for aerosols. Selection made independent of the assessment may leave gaps or be excessive.

Question 15Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Which outcome best indicates that a risk assessment should be reviewed and possibly revised?

  1. The procedure changes to include a higher-speed homogenizer Correct answer.
  2. A new staff member joins the laboratory
  3. The laboratory reorders the same consumables
  4. A routine inspection confirms that controls are working

Explanation

Changes in procedure, scale, or equipment can alter aerosol generation and exposure, triggering reassessment. Routine confirmations and administrative or procurement events do not by themselves change the biological risk profile.

Question 16Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

A worker is exposed to a pathogen through a needlestick. Which element of the risk assessment is most directly relevant to post-exposure management?

  1. The color of the warning label
  2. The infectivity, route, and dose associated with the exposure Correct answer.
  3. The cost of the sharps container
  4. The publication history of the laboratory

Explanation

Post-exposure management depends on the agent's infectivity, the route, and the dose delivered by the exposure. These factors inform prophylaxis and follow-up decisions, whereas procurement, publication, and labeling details do not.

Question 17Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

What distinguishes a qualitative risk assessment from a quantitative one?

  1. Qualitative assessment uses descriptive categories such as low, medium, and high Correct answer.
  2. Qualitative assessment requires numerical probability estimates
  3. Quantitative assessment avoids all use of judgment
  4. Quantitative assessment cannot incorporate exposure data

Explanation

Qualitative assessment expresses risk in descriptive categories, while quantitative assessment assigns numerical estimates. Both rely on professional judgment and can incorporate exposure information.

Question 18Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Which statement best describes 'residual risk' after controls are applied?

  1. The cost of implementing controls
  2. The risk that remains after controls are implemented Correct answer.
  3. The risk that existed before any controls
  4. The risk eliminated by engineering controls

Explanation

Residual risk is what remains once controls are in place, and it must be judged acceptable or the controls revised. Pre-control risk is the initial risk, and control cost is a separate consideration.

Question 19Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

A laboratory handles a moderate-risk agent but performs procedures that generate abundant aerosols. Which approach best reflects sound risk assessment?

  1. Defer all decisions to the equipment vendor
  2. Assume aerosol procedures are safe if performed quickly
  3. Assign controls based on both the agent and the aerosol-generating procedures Correct answer.
  4. Assign controls based only on the agent's risk group

Explanation

Risk assessment must weigh both the agent's intrinsic hazard and the procedures that influence exposure. Relying on risk group alone can under-protect when aerosol-generating work is involved.

Question 20Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Two agents are handled at the same bench: one requires BSL-2 and the other BSL-3 precautions. Which principle should guide the combined risk assessment?

  1. Apply the lower-level precautions because most work is BSL-2
  2. Alternate precautions depending on the time of day
  3. Apply precautions consistent with the highest-risk agent and procedure present Correct answer.
  4. Use BSL-2 precautions because the agents are in the same room

Explanation

When agents of different risk levels are handled together, the assessment should be driven by the highest-risk agent and procedure to avoid under-protection. Averaging or alternating precautions can leave the higher-risk work inadequately contained.

Question 21Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

A risk assessment concludes that residual risk is unacceptable even after administrative controls are applied. What is the most appropriate next step?

  1. Increase the frequency of staff meetings
  2. Proceed and monitor for incidents
  3. Accept the risk because administrative controls were used
  4. Add or strengthen engineering controls or modify the procedure before proceeding Correct answer.

Explanation

If residual risk remains unacceptable, the hierarchy directs strengthening controls, such as adding engineering measures or changing the procedure, before work continues. Accepting the risk or relying on monitoring alone is not appropriate.

Question 22Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Which scenario best demonstrates that a control is not 'fit for purpose'?

  1. A surgical mask is used as the sole protection against an aerosolized high-risk agent Correct answer.
  2. Sharps containers are placed at the point of use
  3. A certified cabinet is used for aerosol-generating work
  4. A sealed rotor is used for centrifuging infectious samples

Explanation

A surgical mask does not provide adequate respiratory protection against fine aerosols from a high-risk agent, so it is not fit for that purpose. The other options describe controls matched to the identified exposure.

Question 23Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

What is the primary reason for documenting a biological risk assessment?

  1. To replace the need for periodic reassessment
  2. To satisfy a preference for lengthy paperwork
  3. To create a defensible record that supports consistent controls and later review Correct answer.
  4. To shift responsibility from the institution to the worker

Explanation

Documentation provides a record of the hazard and exposure analysis that justifies controls and supports review when conditions change. It does not eliminate reassessment or transfer institutional responsibility.

Question 24Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Which practice best supports consistent application of a risk assessment across a laboratory team?

  1. Keeping the assessment confidential to management
  2. Communicating the assessment findings and required controls through training and SOPs Correct answer.
  3. Relying on each worker's individual judgment without written guidance
  4. Updating the assessment only when an incident occurs

Explanation

Consistent application requires that assessment findings and required controls be communicated through training and written procedures. Withholding information or relying on undocumented individual judgment leads to inconsistent practice.

Question 25Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

A risk assessment team includes laboratory staff, a biosafety professional, and facility engineers. What is the main benefit of this composition?

  1. It guarantees that no incidents will occur
  2. It brings together knowledge of the agent, procedures, and physical systems affecting exposure Correct answer.
  3. It reduces the number of controls that must be documented
  4. It allows the assessment to skip the hazard identification step

Explanation

A multidisciplinary team combines expertise about the agent, the procedures, and the facility systems that influence exposure, producing a more complete assessment. It does not eliminate hazards or bypass required steps.

Question 26Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Which term describes the probability that a biological agent will cause harm, combined with the severity of that harm?

  1. Virulence
  2. Exposure
  3. Risk Correct answer.
  4. Hazard

Explanation

Risk is the combination of the likelihood of an adverse event and the severity of the consequences. A hazard is the intrinsic property of the agent that can cause harm, independent of likelihood.

Question 27Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

In a biological risk assessment, which element describes how an agent enters and infects a host?

  1. Incubation period
  2. Case fatality rate
  3. Infectious dose
  4. Route of transmission Correct answer.

Explanation

The route of transmission describes how an agent reaches and enters a susceptible host, such as inhalation, ingestion, or percutaneous inoculation. It directly shapes which controls and PPE are relevant.

Question 28Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Which statement best describes the purpose of a risk assessment matrix that plots likelihood against consequence?

  1. It measures the exact infectious dose of an agent
  2. It guarantees that no exposure will occur in the laboratory
  3. It ranks risks so that control effort can be prioritized Correct answer.
  4. It replaces the need for expert judgment in decisions

Explanation

A likelihood-by-consequence matrix provides a structured way to compare risks and prioritize where controls are most needed. It supports, but does not replace, expert judgment and does not quantify infectious dose.

Question 29Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Which of the following is a recognized limitation of relying solely on personal protective equipment in a biological risk management program?

  1. It eliminates the need for engineering controls in the laboratory
  2. It removes the hazard from the work environment entirely
  3. It provides protection that is unaffected by human error
  4. Its effectiveness depends heavily on correct donning, doffing, and fit Correct answer.

Explanation

PPE is the last line of defense and its performance depends on correct selection, fit, and user technique, so human error reduces its reliability. It does not remove the hazard or replace engineering controls.

Question 30Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

A laboratory plans to introduce a new procedure that generates fine droplets from a concentrated culture. Which initial step is most consistent with a structured biological risk assessment?

  1. Defer the assessment until an incident has occurred and lessons can be learned
  2. Characterize the agent, the procedure, and the potential exposure routes before selecting controls Correct answer.
  3. Assume standard precautions are sufficient because the agent is already in use
  4. Order additional respirators and begin the procedure once they arrive

Explanation

A structured assessment first characterizes the agent's hazard, the procedure's potential to generate aerosols, and the likely exposure routes; controls are then selected to address those findings. Purchasing equipment or assuming adequacy before that analysis is not risk-based.

Question 31Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

A risk assessment team is unsure whether a newly characterized field isolate belongs in a higher risk group. Which action best reflects the precautionary approach in biological risk management?

  1. Apply the more stringent containment until evidence supports a lower classification Correct answer.
  2. Average the containment requirements for the two possible classifications
  3. Rely on the field collection site to determine the classification
  4. Proceed at the lower containment to avoid unnecessary cost

Explanation

Under uncertainty, the precautionary approach applies the more protective containment until sufficient evidence justifies reducing it. Averaging requirements or inferring classification from collection site lacks scientific basis.

Question 32Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Which factor most directly determines whether an agent should be handled at a higher containment level under a risk-group classification scheme?

  1. The number of staff assigned to the project
  2. The agent's ability to cause disease and its potential for spread in the community Correct answer.
  3. The availability of a validated diagnostic assay
  4. The cost of the containment equipment available

Explanation

Risk-group classification reflects an agent's pathogenicity, transmissibility, and availability of effective treatment or prophylaxis. Cost, staffing, and diagnostic availability inform management but do not define the agent's intrinsic risk group.

Question 33Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

A worker in a BSL-2 laboratory reports a spill of infectious material onto the floor. Which sequence best reflects a risk-based response?

  1. Evacuate the building and await external emergency services for every spill
  2. Wipe the spill immediately with paper towels and resume work without documentation
  3. Spray disinfectant from a distance and continue the experiment without interrupting work
  4. Secure the area, assess the spill and exposure potential, apply appropriate disinfection, then document and review Correct answer.

Explanation

A risk-based spill response secures the area, assesses the hazard and any personnel exposure, applies suitable disinfection, and then documents and reviews the event. Overreaction or undocumented cleanup ignores the assessed risk level.

Question 34Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Which statement best describes how risk communication supports a biological risk management program?

  1. It ensures workers understand hazards and controls so they can apply them correctly Correct answer.
  2. It replaces training with signed acknowledgment forms
  3. It transfers legal liability for incidents to the individual workers
  4. It eliminates the need to document the risk assessment

Explanation

Risk communication ensures that those performing the work understand the hazards, the rationale for controls, and their responsibilities, which supports correct and consistent application. It does not shift liability or substitute for documentation and training.

Question 35Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

A laboratory wants to verify that its implemented controls are working as intended. Which activity best serves this purpose?

  1. Reordering supplies more frequently
  2. Increasing the number of staff assigned to the procedure
  3. Relying on the original risk assessment without further checks
  4. Periodic verification such as equipment certification, observational audits, and review of incident data Correct answer.

Explanation

Verification confirms that controls function as designed through activities such as certification of containment equipment, observational audits, and trending of incidents. Revisiting the original assessment alone does not confirm real-world performance.

Question 36Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Which situation most clearly indicates that a control measure is not proportionate to the assessed risk?

  1. A risk assessment is reviewed after a procedural change
  2. A low-risk procedure is subjected to containment requirements designed for high-consequence agents Correct answer.
  3. A moderate-risk procedure uses engineering controls plus appropriate PPE
  4. A high-risk procedure is performed in a certified cabinet with trained staff

Explanation

Controls should be proportionate to the assessed risk; applying high-consequence containment to a low-risk procedure is disproportionate and can divert resources and reduce compliance. The other options reflect appropriate, risk-matched controls.

Question 37Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

A laboratory identifies that a step involving a high-concentration agent could be performed in a closed system instead of an open vessel. Which type of control does this represent?

  1. Personal protective equipment
  2. Engineering control Correct answer.
  3. Administrative control
  4. Waste management control

Explanation

Using a closed system to contain the agent is an engineering control because it modifies the physical process or equipment to reduce exposure at the source. Administrative controls and PPE operate through procedures and worker protection rather than physical containment.

Question 38Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

During review of a risk assessment, a team finds that several assumptions about agent concentration were never validated. What is the most appropriate action?

  1. Leave the assessment unchanged because it was previously approved
  2. Increase staffing levels without revising the assessment
  3. Remove the assumptions from the document to avoid confusion
  4. Validate the assumptions and revise the assessment if the findings change the risk level Correct answer.

Explanation

Unvalidated assumptions are a source of uncertainty that can materially affect the assessed risk; they should be tested and the assessment revised if findings warrant. Removing them or ignoring them conceals uncertainty rather than resolving it.

Question 39Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

A procedure is assessed as moderate risk, but the only available control is an administrative change that depends on perfect worker compliance at every step. How should the risk manager interpret this?

  1. The risk is automatically reduced to negligible
  2. No further action is required once the procedure is documented
  3. The control is fragile and additional or more reliable controls should be considered Correct answer.
  4. The control is sufficient because administrative controls are always adequate

Explanation

A control whose reliability depends on flawless human performance is fragile, so more robust engineering or substitution controls should be evaluated to reduce dependence on compliance. Documentation alone does not reduce risk.

Question 40Biological Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Two control options address the same aerosol hazard: one reduces generation at the source, the other filters air after release. Which reasoning best guides the choice?

  1. The choice should be based solely on the purchase price
  2. Post-release filtration is always preferred because it protects the entire room
  3. Both options are equivalent because they address the same hazard
  4. Source reduction is generally preferred because it prevents release rather than managing it afterward Correct answer.

Explanation

Controls closer to the source are generally more reliable because they prevent the hazard from being released rather than relying on capture after release. Equivalent protection cannot be assumed, and cost alone is not a risk-based criterion.

Question 41Containment Principles, Facility Design, and Engineering Controls

In biosafety terminology, what does the term primary containment refer to?

  1. The building-wide ventilation and waste systems that isolate the entire facility
  2. The community-level measures used to prevent pathogen release into surrounding areas
  3. The protection of the immediate laboratory environment and personnel from exposure to infectious agents Correct answer.
  4. The administrative policies that govern who may enter a laboratory

Explanation

Primary containment is the first barrier protecting personnel and the immediate work environment, achieved through good microbiological technique and appropriate safety equipment such as biological safety cabinets. Secondary containment refers to facility design and building systems.

Question 42Containment Principles, Facility Design, and Engineering Controls

Which piece of equipment is the principal engineering control used to provide primary containment when working with infectious aerosols?

  1. A centrifuge with a sealed rotor
  2. A fume hood
  3. A laminar flow clean bench
  4. A biological safety cabinet Correct answer.

Explanation

A biological safety cabinet uses HEPA-filtered directional airflow to protect both the worker and the environment, making it the primary engineering control for aerosol-generating work with infectious agents. A fume hood protects the worker from chemical vapors but does not provide the same product and environmental protection.

Question 43Containment Principles, Facility Design, and Engineering Controls

Biosafety Level 2 laboratories are distinguished from Biosafety Level 1 laboratories primarily by which requirement?

  1. The installation of double-door airlocks at every entrance
  2. The use of positive-pressure suits for all personnel
  3. The complete prohibition of open benchtop work
  4. Access limited to personnel who have been specifically trained and immunized as appropriate Correct answer.

Explanation

BSL-2 builds on BSL-1 by adding restrictions such as limiting access to trained personnel, requiring appropriate immunizations where relevant, and using biosafety cabinets for aerosol-generating procedures. It does not require positive-pressure suits or airlocks, which are features of higher containment levels.

Question 44Containment Principles, Facility Design, and Engineering Controls

Which direction of airflow is required in a BSL-3 laboratory relative to adjacent corridors?

  1. Air is recirculated within the laboratory without any exchange with adjacent spaces
  2. Air flows from the corridor into the laboratory to maintain inward directional airflow Correct answer.
  3. Air flows from the laboratory into the corridor to dilute contaminants
  4. Airflow direction is irrelevant as long as the room is under positive pressure

Explanation

BSL-3 laboratories are designed so that air flows inward from clean corridors into the laboratory, keeping the room under negative pressure relative to surrounding areas. This inward directional airflow prevents contaminants from escaping into adjacent spaces.

Question 45Containment Principles, Facility Design, and Engineering Controls

A laboratory worker must perform a procedure likely to generate infectious aerosols. Which control should be applied first according to the hierarchy of controls?

  1. Train the worker to work quickly to limit aerosol exposure
  2. Perform the procedure inside a certified biological safety cabinet Correct answer.
  3. Post a biohazard sign on the laboratory door
  4. Provide the worker with a powered air-purifying respirator

Explanation

The hierarchy of controls places engineering controls such as a biosafety cabinet above administrative controls and personal protective equipment. Enclosing the aerosol-generating procedure in a cabinet eliminates or isolates the hazard at its source.

Question 46Containment Principles, Facility Design, and Engineering Controls

What is the purpose of a HEPA filter in a biological safety cabinet exhaust system?

  1. To remove chemical vapors and volatile solvents from the exhaust air
  2. To humidify the exhaust air to protect the building ductwork
  3. To trap particles and microorganisms before air is released or recirculated Correct answer.
  4. To reduce the noise produced by the cabinet blower

Explanation

HEPA filters capture particles at high efficiency, including microorganisms, so exhaust air can be safely recirculated or released. They do not remove gases or vapors, which require other filtration such as activated carbon.

Question 47Containment Principles, Facility Design, and Engineering Controls

A spill of infectious material occurs inside a Class II biological safety cabinet while it is operating. What is the appropriate first action?

  1. Leave the cabinet running and allow the airflow to clear aerosols before decontaminating Correct answer.
  2. Evacuate the building and activate the fire alarm
  3. Turn off the cabinet and open the sash fully to ventilate the work area
  4. Immediately wipe the spill with a dry paper towel while the cabinet is running

Explanation

Keeping the cabinet running maintains containment and allows aerosol-generating disturbance to settle before clean-up. The operator should wait, then decontaminate surfaces and the cabinet interior according to procedure.

Question 48Containment Principles, Facility Design, and Engineering Controls

Which feature is characteristic of a BSL-4 laboratory?

  1. A facility with self-closing doors and handwashing sinks only
  2. A room that relies solely on administrative work restrictions
  3. A dedicated suite with controlled access, sealed penetrations, and waste decontamination systems Correct answer.
  4. A standard laboratory with benchtop work and no special ventilation

Explanation

BSL-4 facilities are designed as dedicated suites with controlled access, sealed penetrations, dedicated ventilation, and systems for decontaminating waste and effluents. These features provide the highest level of secondary containment.

Question 49Containment Principles, Facility Design, and Engineering Controls

Why are penetrations through BSL-3 and BSL-4 laboratory walls and ceilings sealed?

  1. To prevent air leakage that would compromise directional airflow and containment Correct answer.
  2. To improve the aesthetic appearance of the laboratory interior
  3. To reduce construction costs by simplifying the building envelope
  4. To allow easier future relocation of the laboratory

Explanation

Sealing penetrations maintains the integrity of the containment envelope so that pressure differentials and directional airflow are preserved. Unsealed gaps would allow unfiltered air to escape or disrupt inward flow.

Question 50Containment Principles, Facility Design, and Engineering Controls

What is the function of an autoclave in a containment laboratory?

  1. To chemically neutralize surfaces using vaporized disinfectant
  2. To incinerate waste at high temperature in the open laboratory
  3. To sterilize infectious waste and materials before disposal or reuse Correct answer.
  4. To filter airborne particles from the room exhaust

Explanation

Autoclaves use pressurized steam to sterilize infectious waste and reusable materials, rendering them safe for disposal or further handling. They are a key engineering control for waste decontamination in containment facilities.