- 01: Introduction
- 02: History
- 03: Propellants, Firearms, and Ammunition Development
- 04: Modern Firearms Manufacture
- 05: Small Arms Ammunition
- 06: Evidence Handling Procedures
- Introduction
- Objectives
- AFTE Knowledge and Ability Factors
- Types of Evidence
- Associative Evidence
- The Crime Scene
- Evidence Submission
- Laboratory Evidence Handling
- Case Tracking Within the Laboratory
- Firearm and Toolmark Examination Considerations
- Selected Bibliography
- 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
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice ProgramsNational Institute of JusticeThe Research, Development, and Evaluation Agency of the U.S. Department of Justice
Safety
Home > Evidence Handling Procedures > Types of Evidence > Biological Evidence > Safety
Protective clothing
Blood can contain pathogens such as the Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus, and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is essential to regard all biological evidence as potentially infectious and to follow universal safety precautions.
These precautions include the following:
- Wear personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves and face masks.
- Avoid eating, applying cosmetics, or any hand-to-face contact (especially mouth and eye).
- Use implements and wear puncture resistant gloves to handle objects that may have been used for intravenous administration of drugs – place these in sharps disposal containers.
- Identify biohazardous evidence material and package in containers with appropriate labeling.
