Engineering controls refer to removing or isolating a hazard or hazardous condition. They are designed to place a protective barrier between the worker and the workplace hazard, usually involving unique design elements and/or equipment. Clinical laboratories utilize engineering controls to provide and integrate safety features to minimize or eliminate potential hazards for exposure to infectious material. Engineering controls in the laboratory will help protect from bloodborne pathogens and OPIMs.
Environmental and engineering controls aim to reduce the spread of pathogens and the contamination of surfaces and inanimate objects. COVID-19 includes providing adequate space to maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet.
Examples of engineering controls in the clinical laboratory include:
- Self-sheathing needles
- Sharps disposal containers
- Disposable resuscitation bags
- Biological safety cabinets (BSCs)
- Hand washing facilities
- Physical barriers or partitions (e.g., splash guard, plexiglass)
- Air-handling systems (with appropriate directionality, filtration, exchange rate, etc.) that are correctly installed and maintained
- Sealed centrifuge cups
18. Gathany, J. (2003). "This 2003 photograph depicted Deborah Cannon of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Special Pathogens Branch, processing severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus specimens, performing this activity within the confines of a sterilized flow hood." CDC.gov. https://phil.cdc.gov/Details.aspx?pid=3673
