- 01: Introduction
- 02: History
- 03: Propellants, Firearms, and Ammunition Development
- 04: Modern Firearms Manufacture
- 05: Small Arms Ammunition
- 06: Evidence Handling Procedures
- 07: Equipment and Instrumentation
- 08: Examination of Firearms
- 09: Cartridge and Shotshell Examination
- 10: Characterization and Evaluation of Fired Projectiles
- 11: Bullet Comparison and Identification
- 12: Gunshot Residue and Distance Determination
- 13: Toolmark Identification
- 14: Communicating Results
- Resources
- Safety
- Worksheets and Reports
- Selected Bibliography
- Ethics
- Assessments
Biohazards
Home > Safety > Biohazards
Biohazard labels
Appropriate biohazard precautions and labeling should be applied to any evidence-bearing biological material collected from a crime scene and submitted to the forensic laboratory. This ensures compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and protects laboratory personnel.
Laboratory policies and procedures for handling biohazardous material should be followed.
Typical policies and procedures include these:
- Treating all evidence ammunition components as a potential biohazard
- Applying biohazard labels if this has not been done previously
- Air drying bloody evidence items in a fume hood prior to examination
- Wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as laboratory coats, masks, eye protection, and gloves when performing examinations
- Disinfecting fired evidence bullets with denatured alcohol or a 10 percent solution of bleach
- Removing encrusted blood and tissue from evidence ammunition components
