Targeted or non-targeted activities? – Part 1 “Distinction”

When working in laboratories, animal husbandry, biotechnology and health care facilities, the Employer According to the Biological Agents Ordinance (BioStoffV) to determine whether targeted or non-targeted activities He has assessed these activities with regard to their Risk of infection then one Protection level (Section 5 (1) of the BioStoffV and Section 4.3 of the TRBA 100). But how do you distinguish between targeted and non-targeted activities?

Targeted activities are always directly directed at a specific biological agent known by species/subspecies (the work is planned and intentional), and the employee's exposure is sufficiently known or estimable in normal operation (Section 2, Paragraph 8, Sentence 1 of the BioStoffV). A targeted activity is, for example, the propagation of bacteria in pure culture or the propagation of a defined virus species using cell cultures (4.3 TRBA 100).

Non-targeted activities, on the other hand, exist if one of the above-mentioned criteria for targeted activities is not met (Section 2, Paragraph 8, Sentence 2 of the BioStoffV). Thus, the examination of human sample material (e.g. blood, swabs, tissue samples) within the framework of microbiological, clinical-chemical or other special diagnostics is a Non-targeted activities . This also applies to activities involving sample material from a donor with a clear suspicion of infection or a positive infection finding, provided these activities are not directed at the respective biological agent. Cytological or histological examinations of non-inactivated material also constitute non-targeted activities (4.3 TRBA 100).

In medical diagnostics or in microbiological research, however, the investigations may also lead to transition from non-targeted activities to targeted activities. This is the case, for example, if the biological agents known after the initial diagnosis are used for further characterization specifically increased This can occur, among other things, during the further characterization of isolates, subtyping, or the determination of chemotherapy resistance. Diagnostic detection methods with defined control strains also constitute targeted activities (4.3.3 TRBA 100). Non-targeted activities also include the storage or, as part of waste disposal, the inactivation of the sample material or the isolated biological agent after identification or diagnosis, provided no further targeted activities follow (4.3.3 TRBA 100).