Protective clothing in genetic engineering facilities

The general rule in laboratories is that suitable work and protective clothing must be worn (Laboratory Guidelines 4.4.1 BGRCI). When leaving the laboratory area, the lab coat must be removed while still in the laboratory and must remain there. It may not be worn in the cafeteria or dining hall, nor on the way to another building. In practice, it is worthwhile to carefully examine the laboratory organization in order to define the area in which lab coats are mandatory and where protective clothing is to be removed. If non-laboratory personnel, such as tradespeople or technicians, are working in the work area, appropriate protective clothing must also be provided if there is a risk of contamination with hazardous substances. Appropriate training must also be provided on the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE). In addition, users must be provided with appropriate information (Section 3 of the PSA-BV). The currently applicable GenTSV of 1990 also requires the wearing of lab coats or other protective clothing in workrooms of genetic engineering facilities. This applies from safety level 1 onwards and is clearly worded, leaving little room for maneuver (Annex III. AI, paragraph 17 GenTSV). It is essential to ensure that sufficient storage space for lab coats is available and that these are used. Often, several lab coats are hung on top of each other, so that the inside of the upper coat can be contaminated by the back of the lower coat. This must be avoided. From safety level 2 onwards, separate storage facilities for protective and street clothing are also required (Annex III, A. II, paragraph 6 GenTSV). While no protective clothing is explicitly mentioned under the current GenTSV in greenhouses registered as genetic engineering facilities at safety level 1, the new GenTSV, which comes into force in March 2021, already prescribes activity-related protective clothing in S1, which should not be worn outside the greenhouse. Furthermore, it is also required here that used protective clothing must be stored separately from street clothing.