Australia Model Code of Practice Managing the Risks of Biological Hazards at Work 6.1-SIE: Where elimination is not reasonably practicable, minimise exposure with substitution (lower-risk activities such as HEPA vacuuming or wet mopping instead of dry sweeping, lower-risk materials and organisms, disposable rather than reusable equipment), isolation (dedicated contained areas, separation of high-risk areas from offices and break areas, dedicated decontamination spaces, access restriction, scheduling, temporary barriers, isolating unwell animals, point-of-generation waste containment, quarantine) and engineering controls (UV disinfection, biosafety cabinets, enclosed HEPA-filtered cabins, safety-engineered sharps, automated handling and water treatment systems, hygiene facilities, non-touch taps and bins, protective screens, food facilities, HVAC and HEPA filtration, local exhaust ventilation, mechanical ventilation of animal facilities, air locks and negative pressure rooms)

What does 6.1-SIE require?

If exposure cannot be eliminated it must be minimised, and Table 3 gives the measures above administrative controls. Substitution replaces a higher-risk activity, material or product with a lower-risk one: vacuums with HEPA filters or wet mopping instead of dry sweeping so organic dust is not thrown into the air, an inactivated form of a microbe or samples from low-risk areas in a laboratory, a timber that generates less dust, and disposable hair caps, eye protection and masks where reusable items would be hard to clean. Isolation separates the source from people by distance or barriers: high-risk activities in fit-for-purpose isolated areas such as containment facilities, high-risk areas such as animal housing or grain processing separated from offices, thoroughfares and lunchrooms, a dedicated space for cleaning, disinfecting and sterilising equipment, access restricted by barriers and supervised visitors, high-risk tasks such as waste disposal scheduled when fewer people are present, temporary barriers around a contaminated spot until it is cleaned, immediate isolation of unwell or infected animals, waste contained at the point of generation (needles straight into puncture-resistant containers, contaminated material double bagged and sealed), and quarantine of contaminated products, animals, silage and clothing. Engineering controls use equipment, systems and facilities: UV disinfection with its own safety controls, enclosure of the hazard in a biosafety cabinet, tractors and plant with enclosed HEPA-filtered cabins, safety-engineered sharps such as retractable needles, automated sampling and handling of contaminated material, water filtration before reuse, adequate hand washing and sanitising facilities, sensor or elbow, wrist or foot-operated taps and foot-operated bins, protective screens between workers and customers, fridges and microwaves for safe food, and air management through HVAC with HEPA filters, local exhaust ventilation, extraction or air purifiers, mechanical ventilation of confined animal facilities, and air locks or negative pressure rooms.