Does every laboratory have to maintain a biological agent inventory?

According to § 7 BioStoffV (documentation of risk assessment and recording obligations), the employer has the Risk assessment to The documentation includes the following information: the Type of activity including exposure conditions, the Result the Substitution test , the specified Protection levels to be taken Protective measures and a Justification if there is a deviation from the given rules and findings of the Committee for Biological Agents (ABAS) (Section 7 Paragraph 1 Nos. 1-5 BioStoffV).

As part of this documentation, the employer must directory the used or occurring Biomaterials (biological substance list), as far as these are known. This list must contain information on Classification of biological agents into risk groups (RG) according to § 3 BioStoffV and to their sensitizing and toxic effects The information must be accessible to all affected employees and their representatives.

In the case of activities of Protection level 3 or 4 the employer also has a directory about the employees (Section 7 (3) BioStoffV).

The documentation of the necessary information in the risk assessment as well as the directory can however waived be carried out if only activities involving biological substances of the RG 1 without sensitizing or toxic effects be performed.

Whether a biological substance register must be maintained depends primarily on whether biological substances are handled at all. If biological substances are not handled, then, of course, no register needs to be maintained. However, this also applies if only activities of risk group 1 without sensitizing or toxic effects be performed.