Facility Operations and Safety
What to know
Facility questions combine engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment, in that order of preference. Know the hierarchy of controls: eliminate or substitute the hazard, then engineer it out (ventilation, interlock, cage-level filtration), then administrative measures (procedures, training, signage), and PPE last.
Understand the roles of the chemical hygiene plan, safety data sheets, and hazard communication. Know basic biosafety level concepts: containment increases with risk, and work practices, equipment, and facility design together define the level. Recognize common physical hazards - slips, sharps, noise, lifting - and the reporting obligations that follow an injury or exposure.
Traps
- Treating PPE as the primary control when engineering controls are preferred.
- Assuming a biosafety level is defined by equipment alone; practices and design also count.
- Forgetting that chemical inventories and SDS access are compliance requirements.
- Overlooking that near-misses are reportable learning events.
Rule of thumb
Control the hazard at its source first; use PPE as the final layer, not the first.
Worked example: A procedure generates airborne particulates. A question asks the best control. The strongest answer is a primary engineering control such as ventilated containment or cage-level filtration, with respiratory PPE as a supplement rather than the sole safeguard.