Which item is not considered an engineering control in biosafety?

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is not classified as an engineering control in biosafety. Engineering controls are physical modifications to the workplace that serve to isolate hazards from individuals working in or visiting the area. The aim is to reduce exposure to biological agents through structural design or other technological means.

Items such as bench top shields and centrifuge safety buckets are designed to create barriers or provide containment to reduce the risk of exposure to hazardous materials. Sealed tubes also act as an engineering control by preventing the release of potentially infectious agents into the environment. In contrast, personal protective equipment is a type of administrative control that relies on the behavior of individuals to provide protection, rather than modifying the environment or the process to reduce risk.