黑料网官网

Table of Contents:

1. Scope, Regulations and Guidelines
2. Responsibilities
3. Biological Safety
4. Biohazardous Waste
5. Biohazardous Spill Response
6. Packaging and Shipping Infectious Agents
7. Files/Forms

Section 1: Scope, Regulations and Guidelines

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1. Scope
   1. This manual applies to all 黑料网官网 activities involving biological agents. All 黑料网官网 faculty, staff, students, visitors, and employees of industry partners when working on 黑料网官网 sponsored projects or at 黑料网官网 facilities, are included in the scope of this manual.
   2. Biological agents include all infectious microorganisms (bacteria, chlamydia, fungi, parasites, prions, rickettsias, viruses, etc.) that can cause disease in humans, or significant environmental or agricultural impact, and toxins derived from such organisms. Research projects are not covered by this manual. Please see your division director or EH&S department if you are doing research at 黑料网官网 facilities. It may be necessary to augment this manual depending on the biological agents used.
   3. In some cases, 黑料网官网 faculty and students may work with biological agents off-campus. In such instances, 黑料网官网 personnel should use the manual for guidance; but they must comply with the Biosafety Program of the off campus facility.
2. Applicable Regulations and Guidelines
   1. Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH): Biosaftey in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL).
   2. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): Bloodborne Pathogens.
   3. Title 42 CFR, Part 73. (Biological select agents and toxins)
   4. Title 9 CFR, Part 121.
   5. Title 7 CFR, Part 131. (Biological select agents and toxins)
   6. U.S. Patriot Act

Section 2: Responsibilities

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The responsibility for biosafety at 黑料网官网 is a team effort requiring the direct involvement of the 黑料网官网 EH&S Advisory Committee (EH&SAC), the Environmental Health and Safety Department (EH&S), the Nursing and Allied Health Division, the Liberal Arts Division, laboratory supervisors, other faculty and staff and laboratory workers including students.

1. Biosafety Levels
   1. Develop biosafety policies applicable to 黑料网官网 activities, including work practices, biohazardous waste, and medical surveillance of personnel.
   2. Review and approve new research proposals in accordance with CDC/NIH guidelines.
   3. Investigate significant violations of 黑料网官网 biosafety procedures or policies, and significant accidents or illnesses involving biological agents.
   4. Providing technical advice to the EH&S and Lab Supervisors on biosafety protocols.
   5. Developing emergency response guidelines to EH&S for accidental spills and personnel contamination, and investigating incidents involving biological agents.
   6. Keeping EH&S informed of pertinent biosafety issues and program status.
   7. Providing guidance for general biosafety training for 黑料网官网 personnel to EH&S.
2. Laboratory Supervisors
   Laboratory supervisors are responsible for the health and safety of all personnel in their laboratory. Specific responsibilities of the lab supervisor include:
   1. Ensuring that specific laboratory hazards are effectively communicated to laboratory personnel and that controls are in place to minimize risks associated with these hazards.
      1. Developing laboratory-specific standard operating procedures (SOPs) that cover the hazards and activities (both routine activities and unusual events) relevant to the laboratory.
      2. Ensuring that engineering controls are available, are in good working order, and are used appropriately to minimize exposure to biohazardous agents.
      3. Ensuring that appropriate personal protective equipment is available and used by laboratory personnel.
   2. Ensuring that all laboratory personnel receive general biosafety training conducted by EH&S or their division as well as specific training on the hazards, procedures, and practices relevant to the laboratory they are working in. All training must be documented and records maintained.
   3. Ensuring that laboratory workers are provided immunizations and medical surveillance prior to exposure to biohazardous agents as appropriate (based on current recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and EH&SAC recommendations).
   4. Notifying EH&S of any spills or incidents involving biological agents that result in exposure to laboratory personnel or the public, or release to the environment.
   5. Ensuring that biological agents are disposed of as outlined in this manual.
   6. Ensuring that biohazardous materials to be transported are packaged and shipped in accordance with regulations.
   7. Ensuring that an accurate inventory of biological agents is maintained.
   8. Ensuring that periodic assessments of the laboratory are conducted to self-identify health and safety weaknesses, and that identified weaknesses are remedied in a timely manner.
3. Laboratory Workers, Faculty and Staff and Students
   Laboratory workers are the most important element in developing and maintaining a safe laboratory environment. All laboratory workers are responsible for their own health and safety, as well as that of their coworkers. Specific responsibilities include:
   1. Following procedures and practices established by the College and the laboratory;
      1. Using accepted good laboratory practices to minimize exposures to biological agents, and to avoid other incidents (such as fire, explosion, etc.);
      2. Attend biosafety and other laboratory safety training as required;
      3. Reporting unsafe laboratory conditions to the Lab Supervisor, EH&S, or other responsible party;
      4. Utilize control measures and personal protective equipment to prevent exposure to biological agents, and contamination of personnel and facilities;
4. Environmental Health and Safety Department
   1. Provide biosafety training as required;
   2. Update procedures to ensure that the biosafety program keeps pace with 黑料网官网s changing educational programs;
   3. Performing periodic inspections of the biological facilities and laboratories;

Section 3: Biological Safety

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Microbiological and biohazard laboratories are special work environments that may pose special infectious disease risks to persons in or near them. Personnel have contracted infections in the laboratory throughout the history of microbiological and biohazard research. A number of cases have been attributed to carelessness or poor technique in the handling of infectious materials.

The term containment is used in describing safe methods for managing infectious agents in the laboratory environment where they are being handled or maintained. Primary containment, the protection of personnel and the immediate laboratory environment from exposure to infectious agents, is provided by good microbiological technique and the use of appropriate safety equipment. The use of vaccines may provide an increased level of personal protection. Secondary containment, the protection of the environment external to the laboratory from exposure to infectious materials, is provided by a combination of facility design and operational practices. The purpose of containment is to reduce exposure of laboratory workers and other persons, and to prevent escape into the outside environment of potentially hazardous agents. The three elements of containment include laboratory practice and technique, safety equipment, and facility design.

1. Laboratory Practice and Technique
   The most important element of containment is strict adherence to standard microbiological practices and techniques. Persons working with infectious agents or infected materials must be aware of potential hazards and must be trained and proficient in the practices and techniques required for safely handling such material. The lab supervisor or faculty member is responsible for providing or arranging for appropriate training of personnel.When standard laboratory practices are not sufficient to control the hazard associated with a particular agent or laboratory procedure, additional measures may be needed. The laboratory supervisor is responsible for selecting additional safety practices, which must be in keeping with the hazard associated with the agent or procedure.

   Each laboratory should develop or adopt an operations manual that identifies the hazards that will or may be encountered and specifies practices and procedures designed to minimize or eliminate risks. Personnel shall be advised of special hazards and shall be required to read and follow the required practices and procedures. A scientist with training and knowledge in appropriate laboratory techniques, safety procedures, and hazards associated with handling infectious agents must direct laboratory activities. Laboratory personnel, safety practices and techniques must be supplemented by appropriate facility design and engineering features, safety equipment and management practices.

   1. Engineering controls shall be examined and maintained or replaced on a regular schedule to ensure their effectiveness;
   2. Employees shall wash their hands immediately or as soon as possible after removal of gloves or other personal protective equipment and after hand contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials;
   3. All personal protective equipment shall be removed immediately upon leaving the work area or as soon as possible if overtly contaminated and placed in an appropriately designated area or container for storage, washing, decontamination or disposal;
   4. Used needles and other sharps shall not be sheared, bent, broken, recapped, or re-sheathed by hand. Used needles shall not be removed from disposable syringes;
   5. Eating, drinking, smoking, applying cosmetics or lip balm, and handling contact lenses are prohibited in work areas where there is a potential for occupational exposure;
   6. Food and drink shall not be stored in refrigerators, freezers, or cabinets where blood or other potentially infectious materials are stored or in other areas of possible contamination. Food and drink are not permitted in labs;
   7. All procedures involving blood or other potentially infectious materials shall be performed in such a manner as to minimize splashing, spraying, and aerosolization of these substances, and shall comply with 黑料网官网s Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Program;
2. Safety Equipment (Primary Barriers)
   Safety equipment includes cabinets and a variety of enclosed containers. There are currently, no biological safety cabinets in 黑料网官网 Facilities.An example of an enclosed container is the safety centrifuge cup, which is designed to prevent aerosols from being released during centrifugation.

   Safety equipment also includes items for personal protection such as gloves, coats, gowns, shoe covers, boots, respirators, face shields, and safety glasses. These personal protective devices are often used in combination with biological safety cabinets and other devices which contain the agents, animals, or materials being examined. In some situations in which it is impractical to work in biological safety cabinets, personal protective devices may form the primary barrier between personnel and the infectious materials. Examples of such activities may include human cadaver dissection, certain animal studies, animal necropsy, production activities, and activities relating to maintenance, service or support of the laboratory facility.

3. Personal Protective Equipment
   When there is a potential for occupational exposure, the employer shall provide and assure that the employee, and students use appropriate personal protective equipment such as, but not limited to, gloves, gowns, fluid-proof aprons, laboratory coats, head and foot coverings, face shields or masks, eye protection, mouthpieces, resuscitation bags, pocket masks, or other ventilation devices.
   1. The employer shall assure that appropriate personal protective equipment in the appropriate sizes is readily accessible at the work site or issued to employees, hypoallergenic gloves shall be readily accessible to those employees who are allergic to the gloves normally provided;
   2. The employer shall provide for the cleaning, laundering or disposal of personal protective equipment;
   3. The employer shall repair or replace required personal protective equipment as needed to maintain its effectiveness;
   4. Gloves shall be worn at the discretion of the faculty for the course when the employee or student has the potential for the hands to have the direct skin contact with blood, other potentially infectious materials, mucous membranes, nonintact skin, and when handling items or surfaces soiled with blood or other potentially infectious material;
      1. Disposable (single-use) gloves such as surgical or examination gloves shall be replaced as soon as possible when visibly soiled, torn, and punctured or when their ability to function as a barrier is compromised. They shall not be washed or disinfected for re-use.
      2. Utility gloves may be disinfected for re-use if the integrity of the glove is not compromised, however, they must be discarded if they are cracked, peeling, discolored, torn, punctured, or exhibit other signs of deterioration.
   5. Masks and eye protection or chin-length face shields shall be worn whenever splashes, spray, spatter, droplets, or aerosols of blood or other potentially infectious materials may be generated and there is a potential for eye, nose, or mouth contamination;
   6. Appropriate protective clothing shall be worn when the employee has potential for occupational exposure. The type and characteristics will depend upon the task and degree of exposure anticipated;
      1. Gowns, lab coats, aprons or similar clothing shall be worn if there is a potential for soiling of clothes with blood or other potentially infectious materials.
      2. Fluid resistant clothing, surgical caps or hoods shall be worn if there is a potential for splashing or spraying of blood or other potentially infectious materials.
      3. Fluid-proof shoe covers shall be worn if there is a potential for shoes to become contaminated and/or soaked with blood or other potentially infectious materials.
4. Housekeeping
   The work site shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. All equipment, environmental enclosures and working surfaces shall be properly cleaned and disinfected after contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials.
   1. Work surfaces shall be decontaminated with an appropriate disinfectant after completion of procedures; when surfaces are overtly contaminated; immediately after the spill of blood or other potentially infectious materials; and at the end of the work shift or class;
   2. Protective coverings such as plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or imperviously-backed absorbent paper may be used to cover equipment and environmental surfaces. These coverings shall be removed and replaced at the end of the work shift or when they become overtly contaminated;
   3. Equipment which may become contaminated with blood or other potentially infectious materials shall be checked routinely and prior to servicing or shipping and shall be decontaminated as necessary;
   4. All bins, pails, cans, and similar receptacles intended for re-use which have a potential for becoming contaminated with blood or other potentially infectious materials shall be inspected, cleaned, and disinfected on a regularly scheduled basis and cleaned and disinfected immediately or as soon as possible upon visible contamination;
   5. Broken glassware which may be contaminated shall not be picked up directly with the hands. It shall be cleaned up using mechanical means such as a brush and dust pan, tongs, cotton swabs or forceps;
   6. Specimens of blood or other potentially infectious materials shall be placed in a closable, leak-proof container labeled or color-coded bag prior to being stored or transported. If outside contamination of the primary container is likely, then a second leak-proof container that is labeled or color-coded shall be placed over the outside of the first container and closed to prevent leakage during handling, storage, or transport. If puncture of the primary container is likely, it shall be placed in a leak-proof puncture-resistant secondary container;
   7. Reusable items contaminated with blood or other potentially infectious materials shall be decontaminated prior to washing and/or reprocessing;
5. Infectious and Autoclaved/Sterilized Waste Disposal
   1. All infectious waste destined for disposal shall be placed in closable, leak-proof containers or bags that are color-coded or labeled.
      • If outside contamination of the container or bag is likely to occur then a second leak-proof container or bag which is closable and labeled or color-coded shall be placed over the outside of the first and closed to prevent leakage during handling, storage, and transport.
      • Disposal of all infectious waste shall be in accordance with procedures found in section 4 of this manual.
      • Immediately after use, sharps, i.e., broken glass, needles, pipettes, etc., shall be placed in closable, labeled or color-coded leak-proof, puncture resistant (typically hard plastic), disposable containers.
      • These containers shall be easily accessible to personnel and located in the area of use.
   2. Please note that the following additional requirements apply to sterilize/autoclaved biology and/or chemistry waste disposal.
      The following requirements address waste disposal of a sterile, non-hazardous nature in the Biology and Chemistry labs by Facilities personnel, it may have useful applications within the Nursing and Allied Health Division. While unlikely, as Nursing has its own waste disposal service, if Nursing wishes to adopt any, all or none of this policy, they are welcome to climb aboard and do so.
      1. 1. Standard viable microbiological specimens, e.g., streaked microbiological material on slants, butts, agar plates, et al, that are to be steam-sterilized to render them non-hazardous and that contain no appreciable amounts of hazardous materials should be steam-sterilized in clearly marked red, orange or otherwise colored biohazard bags for no less than 30 minutes (and preferably for 60 minutes).
         2. Inside the red, orange or otherwise colored biohazard bag should be a disposable test tube with autoclave tape wrapped around it containing the following inked information: type of waste, load number (from sterilizer log that matches up with bio-indicator, e.g., 2015-03-01, year (2015), semester old style (01 = Spring; 02 = Summer and 03 = Fall) and load number), room (e.g., 201 ASP), date of sterilization, and 黑料网官网 with the faculty persons name.
            1. Suitable alternatives to using the test tube with autoclave tape include the use of either:
               1. an indelible marker to write the same information on the outside of the bag or
               2. an appropriate 黑料网官网 EH&S-approved (and provided) tag or adhesive label that contains identical information
         3. Upon removal from the sterilizer, the red, orange or otherwise colored biohazard bags are to be immediately tied off with a knot at the neck of the red, orange or otherwise colored biohazard bag and allowed to cool and compress.
            1. While the knot is the preferred method of securing the items in the red, orange or otherwise colored biohazard bag (and provides a better vacuum seal of the bag upon cooling), twist-ties or plastic ties of a substantial nature may be used, as well.
         4. Once the red, orange or otherwise colored biohazard bag is cooled, it is to be double bagged in a black heavy-duty trash bag (e.g., Husky Contractor Clean-up Bags available from Home Depot or Amazon) and tied off, as well.
            1. An acceptable variation is to place one or two red, orange or otherwise colored biohazard bags suitably sterilized into the trash bag, twist the neck of the bag and flip it back over the biohazard bags to double the thickness of material and tie the new neck off.
            2. While the knot is the preferred method of securing the red, orange or otherwise colored biohazard bag, twist-ties or plastic ties of a substantial nature may be used, as well.
         5. The trash-bag-secured red, orange or otherwise colored biohazard bag may be safely disposed of in the non-hazardous trash. If need be, the trash receptacles may be [re-]labeled soft trash for ease of identification.
         6. If the autoclaved material contains glass it shall be placed in a sealed labeled plastic 5 gallon container (e.g., Home Depot Homer bucket) or the like to minimize injury to custodial/waste management personnel.
         7. Any and all sharps disposal after autoclaving should also be placed in a sealed and labeled hardened container.
            1. The container may be a sharps container commercially prepared for just this purpose or it may be a 5 gallon bucket with lid from Home Depot.
            2. The lid on either container should be secured by duct tape or the like to keep it from falling off accidentally or from being removed prior to disposal purposefully.
         8. Glass trash placed in the hardened containers shall be labeled as are the soft trash containers and may be disposed of in the non-hazardous trash, as well.
      2. Facilities Personnel Responsibilities
         1. Trash placed in the 黑料网官网 Science Labs in trash receptacles, particularly in those bins, barrels, cans or other receptacles identified for trash disposal and labeled non-hazardous trash for disposal, is non-hazardous and requires only pick up and disposal. It is not necessary to open bags of trash placed in the receptacle for further inspection.
         2. If a Facilities person believes that there is something incorrect and/or inappropriate about a sealed bag of trash in a receptacle, the Facilities person is to immediately electronically contact the lab safety supervisor (by email) for that specific lab.
         3. The Facilities person is not to do anything with any potentially questionable trash, including opening a closed container to inspect it.
         4. The responsible Faculty Lab Safety Supervisor will examine the bag[s] in question to confirm or reject safeness of/for disposal of the items as quickly as is reasonable, e.g., during summer, many faculty are not on campus or in the immediate vicinity for a quick inspecti