Biosafety
Overview
Biosafety is a two way path - to be 'biosafe' implies creating a safe working environment for all personnel and ensuring that the work being done does not impact the environment. Biohazardous materials include any organism that can cause disease in humans, or cause significant environmental or agricultural impact, such as:
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Parasites
- Prions and Prion-like Proteins
- Fungi
- Human or primate tissues, fluids, cells, or cell cultures/lines that are known to or are likely to contain infectious organisms
- Human or animal tissues, fluids, cells, or cell cultures/lines that have been exposed to infectious organisms
- Animals known to be reservoirs of zoonotic diseases
Recombinant and synthetic nucleic acid molecule use is also covered by the Biosafety program. This includes:
- Recombinant and synthetic nucleic acid molecules
- Transgenic animals
- Transgenic plants
- Human gene transfer/studies using recombinant and synthetic nucleic acid molecules
Written Program
- ND Biosafety Manual (737 kb, .pdf)
- Autoclave Safe Use and Validation Procedure (1.22 mb, .pdf)
- Bloodborne Pathogens Program
Training Requirements
Any laboratory personnel working with or around biohazardous materials (Biosafety Levels 1, 2 and 3) must complete Biosafety Training in ComplyND. This is required initially and annually thereafter.
In addition to the training required above, personnel working in a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) lab, must complete additional BSL-3 training and hands on safety training provided by the BSL-3 Laboratory Manager. Hands on training is required initially and annually thereafter.
Anyone shipping biological materials (Category B) must complete training in ComplyND. Contact the Lab Safety Team for additional information.