Several standard lab procedures may result in the generation of infectious aerosols or droplets, which may require additional PPE or other controls, including:
- Pipetting and dispensing of pipette tips
- Use of a vortex
- Spills or splashes from liquid media
- Heat fixing a microscope slide
- Use of a sonicator
- Use and unloading of a centrifuge
- Inoculation of media (plate or tube)
- Performing a subculture of a positive blood culture bottle
- Performing a catalase test on the bench
- Preparing samples for automated identification systems
Clinical laboratories should try to utilize engineering controls, such as containment devices, as best they can if infectious hazards cannot be eliminated or substituted.
