I. Introduction 
The scientific community has long recognized the need to employ physical 
containment measures when conducting research with biological materials. 
Historically, the development and use of containment techniques began as an 
effort to secure and maintain pure cultures of bacteria; it was not until 
human laboratory-acquired infections began to appear that attention was given 
to the protection of personnel. For example, the frequency of typhoid among 
laboratory workers at the turn of the century caused by pipetting accidents, 
stimulated the development of mechanical pipetting aids. Since these early 
beginnings, a significant body of information has been developed by scientists 
and safety professionals, alike, which can be used today to guide laboratory 
workers in the safe conduct of research with potentially hazardous organisms. 
It is this body of information on which the "Laboratory Safety Monograph, a 
Supplement to the NIH Guidelines for Recombinant DNA Research" is based. 
The "Laboratory Safety Monograph" provides information on physical con- 
tainment measures that are applicable to recombinant DNA research. The 
monograph has been organized to complement the "NIH Guidelines for Recombinant 
DNA Research." Major sections of the monograph deal with laboratory practices, 
containment equipment, special laboratory design, and roles and responsibil- 
ities. The section on laboratory practices has information on specific 
techniques used by the laboratory worker in the control of biohazards. The 
section on containment equipment reviews Biological Safety Cabinets and de- 
scribes their capabilities and limitations. This section also provides 
definitive procedures for certifying the containment capability of Biological 
Safety Cabinets. The special laboratory design section amplifies design 
considerations for P3 and P4 facilities; certification procedures for im- 
portant facility safeguards are presented in this section. The section on roles 
and responsibilities emphasizes the activities of the Institutional Biosafety 
Committee and the biological safety officer. Guidance concerning emergency 
procedures and medical surveillance is provided. This section also 
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