BSL-2 is suitable for which institutions?

• A. High school labs
• B. Government facilities
• C. Biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, national labs, research universities and hospitals
• D. Small clinics

Answer: (C)

BSL-2 is designed for work with agents that can cause disease in healthy people but are not easily spread, requiring containment and trained personnel. Work in BSL-2 labs includes handling specimens, procedures that may generate aerosols, and activities where there is potential exposure to infectious materials. To keep people safe, these labs use engineering controls like a certified biosafety cabinet, restricted access, proper PPE, and established procedures for decontamination and incident response.

Institutions that routinely perform diagnostic or research work with moderate-risk agents—such as biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, national labs, research universities, and hospitals—keep BSL-2 facilities to support their programs. High school labs typically operate at BSL-1, with minimal-risk organisms and supervision, while many small clinics handle routine clinical work at lower levels or with appropriate safety measures.