The Principles of Good Microbiological Practices Fact Sheet contains sixteen rules for maintaining a safe laboratory environment. Rules range from never mouth pipetting or eating in the lab to ensuring all your hazardous materials are properly labeled and waste is safely disposed of. It encourages laboratory personnel to be familiar with the potential risks associated with their experiments and to take the necessary steps to ensure containment of biological materials. The fact sheet is meant to be used in conjunction with the US CDC and NIH Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories resource. 

The fact sheet was published by the American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) and the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). ABSA is an international biosafety organization that was founded in 1984 to promote biosafety as a scientific discipline and serve the growing needs of biosafety professionals throughout the world. As a professional association, it provides resources for the continued and timely exchange of biosafety information. OSHA is an agency of the Department of Labor that works to ensure safe and healthy working environments for all US workers. The fact sheet was developed through OSHA’s Alliance Program, which enables the agency to develop voluntary, collaborative working relationships with other organizations that are committed to workplace safety and health, such as ABSA. The fact sheet was published in 2017 and is available in English.