Step into a virtual laboratory and learn how to work safely in the first-ever Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) virtual reality (VR) laboratory training course. This course enables learners to apply knowledge and practice setting up a biosafety cabinet (also known as a biological safety cabinet, or BSC) in a virtual laboratory in order to identify the major parts, demonstrate how to maintain positive airflow, demonstrate how to prepare for work, apply safe-work practices, demonstrate how to decontaminate and shutdown, and conduct emergency shutdown procedures of a Class II Biosafety Cabinet. This course is developed for laboratory professionals and supplements the existing CDC eLearning course on the same topic found on the CDC LabTraining page.

OBJECTIVES:

After completing this course, learners will be able to:

• Identify the major parts of a Class II BSC
  
• Demonstrate how to maintain positive airflow within a BSC
  
• Demonstrate how to prepare for work in a BSC
  
• Apply safe-work practices in a BSC
  
• Demonstrate how to decontaminate and shutdown a BSC
  
• Conduct emergency shutdown procedures in a BSC

AUDIENCE:

This course is designed for public health and clinical laboratory staff, safety professionals, and persons interested in the safe use of biological safety cabinets.

BACKGROUND:

Biological Safety Cabinets (BSCs) are enclosed, ventilated workspaces designed for safely working with pathogens, contaminants, and other potentially hazardous materials. A BSC is a primary engineering control used to keep laboratory professionals safe by providing a physical barrier and an environmental barrier against biohazardous or infectious agents. The BSC helps maintain quality control of the material being worked with as it filters both the inflow and exhaust air.
CDC chose biosafety cabinets as its first VR training topic because the proper use of a BSC is a critical laboratory safety issue. The misuse of BSCs has contributed to laboratory safety incidents across the country and internationally. Also, the current BSC eLearning course has a consistently high participation rate and has received positive feedback from learners. With VR technology added to the existing eLearning course, learners can be trained on how to use a BSC properly without exposure to pathogens or risk of accidental infection or accidental release.

VR NOTE:

This VR course requires a play area of at least 3ft x 3ft, but ideally a larger 20 ft x 20ft space to make the experience feel more accurate and real. This VR course also requires a play area with 360° tracking. Currently, this course is designed to work ONLY on the HTC Vive VR platform. In addition to having the appropriate VR hardware, a learner’s computer must meet the following specifications: