Hazard groups for work with biological agents
Hazard group 1:
Biological agent that is unlikely to cause human disease, e.g. Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast).
Hazard group 2:
Biological agent that can cause human disease and may be a hazard. For most such agents there is effective treatment or prophylaxis available, such as vaccination. Most often, the risk of contagion is limited. Examples of such biological agents are Salmonella spp. (most strains), streptococcus, staphylococcus and adenovirus.
Hazard group 3:
Biological agent that can cause severe disease in humans and animals and may be a serious hazard to work with. Often there is effective treatment or prophylaxis available, such as vaccination. It may spread to the community. Examples of such biological agents are Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), E. coli O157:H7 (ulcerative colitis, sometimes with serious side effects), Yersinia pestis (bubonic plague), yellow fever virus, HIV virus, rabies virus and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).
Hazard group 4:
Biological agent that can cause very severe human disease and is a serious hazard. There is usually no effective treatment or prophylaxis available, such as vaccination. It can have major consequences if the agent spreads to the community. Examples of such agents are Lassa fever virus, Ebola virus and Marburg virus.
The employer must keep records of employees who may have been exposed to biological agents in hazard groups 3 and 4.
The employer must, where needed, offer vaccination (if it exists), other medical prophylactic measures, tests and follow-up tests, if an employee could have been, or is at risk of being, exposed to infectious agents at work.
Work with biological agents in hazard groups 2, 3 and 4 requires risk assessment. Risk assessment must be carried out for hazard group 1 if the user believes that the work could involve a risk. Provisions regarding work with biological agents are set out in AFS 2018:4, Infection Risks and AFS 2001:1, Systematic Work Environment Management. This risk assessment should identify, inter alia, which activities may involve risk of infection, how the biological agent could cause infection, and what and how serious the consequences could be if workers were exposed to the agent.
Premises, furnishings and equipment must be adapted to the activity to minimise risk of infection. Biological hazard signs showing the text “Infection risk/Biohazard” as well as the specified hazard group or protection level must be displayed at entrances to premises containing biological agents.
Good personal hygiene must be observed when working with biological agents, i.e. good microbiological techniques must be used according to established procedures, and the employer must, inter alia, ensure that employees can wash or disinfect their hands when performing work that involves risk of infection. Moreover, special protective clothing must be worn during work that could result in exposure to biological agents. This protective clothing, e.g. a lab coat or personal protective equipment, must be removed before leaving the work area to prevent the spread of infection to other areas. Procedures must be in place for the safe disposal of protective clothing, personal protective equipment, contaminated material, equipment and waste. Decontamination must be carried out as soon as possible.
The Swedish Work Environment Authority’s website has information to support the process of performing risk assessment, notifying or applying for a permit to work with biological agents and/or GMMs.
- Swedish Work Environment Authority’s website on infectious diseases
- Swedish Work Environment Authority website on GMMs
- Swedish Work Environment Authority website on use of microorganisms
- Public Health Agency website on biosafety, good microbiological practices, etc.
- Information on risk assessment of microbiological work is also available on the Public Health Agency’s website.
No notification is needed for work consisting of primary cultivation or concentration directly from a sample without further culturing. If a notification or permit is already in place for genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs) relative to the work in question, there is no need to submit an additional notification for biological agents.