550-29: Biosafety | Campus Administrative Policies

Overview

Ensures the safe conduct of research using infectious agents, select agents, and recombinant DNA technology.

Purpose

The Biosafety Committee has been established to advise the Chancellor and work with the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (OEH&S) to ensure the safe conduct of research using infectious agents, select agents and recombinant DNA technology.

Definitions

: Biological organisms and toxins identified and listed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that are subject to specific registration and safe guards.

Policy

The Biosafety Committee recommends to the Chancellor policies and procedures to provide adequate precautions and safeguards necessary to prevent infections for research using etiologic agents (whether bacterial, viral, rickettsial, chlamydial, parasitic, or fungal). The Biosafety Committee, in collaboration with the biosafety officer of EH&S, reviews and approves all research facilities and procedures using recombinant DNA technology for appropriate containment of biological material, including viruses, cell cultures, and protists.

Responsibilities

A. Executive Vice Chancellor

The Executive Vice Chancellor:

1. Appoints the Biosafety Committee and also may invoke special procedures to resolve disagreements regarding biosafety matters.

2. Has delegated the daily operations regarding biosafety to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research.

B. Biosafety Committee

It is the responsibility of the Biosafety Committee to:

1. Review technical and safety-related aspects of the use of recombinant DNA and infectious agents;

2. Develop a safety and operations manual for use of etiologic and other potentially biohazardous agents;

3. Certify that facilities, procedures, and practices have been reviewed and approved;

4. Promulgate a biosafety program in conjunction with OEH&S that satisfies federal, state, and local laws and regulations;

5. Limit or revoke, as authorized by the Chancellor, an investigator's authority to use biohazardous materials if such use presents a hazard to individuals or violates health and safety codes;

6. Implement the provisions of the Use of Department of Health and Human Services Select Agents;

7. Perform other duties to fulfill its charge, as may be required by the Executive Vice Chancellor.

C. Biosafety Officer

The biosafety officer of OEH&S provides technical support to the Biosafety Committee, including biological laboratory inspection and approval, consultation, education, and service as a liaison with regulatory bodies.

D. Principal Investigator

In using etiologic agents or recombinant DNA technology, principal investigators must conduct their research in compliance with accepted standards of safe laboratory practice and any conditions of approval required by the Biosafety Committee or the Biosafety Officer of OEH&S.