This page is for you if you could be exposed to biological hazards through your work. It explains what these hazards (or ‘agents’) are, how you can be exposed to them and what your employer should do to protect you.
What biological agents are
A biological agent is a micro-organism that may cause infection, allergy, toxicity or other hazard to human health.
You may encounter harmful biological agents at work as a result of:
- the type of work you do
- the material you are handling
- the environment you work in
Incidental exposure during the course of your work
Incidental exposure is when your work activity brings you into contact with material containing infectious agents.
This incidental exposure could be because the hazard (the micro-organism), is on or within the materials, substances, animals or people that are being handled, for example:
- handling waste contaminated with human or animal waste
- working with equipment or in an environment that is contaminated such as sewers
You could be exposed to these biological hazards by accident during the course of your work, for example:
- as a farmer you may be exposed to zoonoses in the environment you are working in
- as a healthcare worker, you may be exposed to micro-organisms like bloodborne viruses when treating patients with infectious diseases
You can find guidance on what your employer must do to protect you from incidental exposure to biological agents.
Deliberate, planned work with biological agents
You may come into contact with biological hazards because you intentionally work with micro-organisms, for example:
- in a microbiology diagnostic laboratory which means handling biological agent cultures and clinical samples
- in a research environment and carrying out experiments with micro-organisms to understand how they cause disease
You can find out what your employer should do to protect you in our detailed guidance on safe deliberate work with biological agents.
How you can be exposed
You can be at risk of exposure and infection if biological hazards are not controlled. For some types of work activity, members of the public, contractors and workplace visitors could also be at risk.
Routes of exposure
Exposure to biological agents can occur by various methods, for example by:
- contact with a mucous membrane or the skin
- inhalation
- ingestion
- direct inoculation as a result of a sharps injury
Not all exposures will lead to an infection.
Individual health conditions
You may be more at risk of an infection due to your individual circumstances. For example, some health conditions or medication may result in people being immune suppressed or compromised.
Pregnant workers
During pregnancy, some infections can cause problems to a mother or their baby. There is NHS guidance on infections in pregnancy that may affect your baby (on GOV.UK). It includes information about symptoms of infections and what to do if you're worried.
There is also general HSE guidance for pregnant workers and new mothers on the actions you need to take to inform your employer about your pregnancy and what they must to do protect you.
How your employer should control the risks
Your employer should assess:
- the nature of biological hazards that could be encountered in your specific work environment
- how you can be exposed, taking into consideration the transmission routes of the biological agents
For example, in a healthcare environment, various micro-organisms may be encountered such as bloodborne viruses, respiratory pathogens, or gastro-intestinal pathogens.
You can find information about the law on infections at work. It provides more detail on your employer’s legal duties to protect you.