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Biosafety Resource Links
Biosafety Resources
Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL)
CDC/NIH web site provides information on Biosafety Levels 1-4 and the appropriate practices and equipment to use in order to work safely in the laboratory. http://www.cdc.gov/od/ohs/biosfty/bmbl5/bmbl5toc.htm
Material Safety Data sheets for Biological Materials
Health Canada provides these MSDS sheets for workers in the life sciences to use as a safety reference for work with infectious microorganisms. To be used in conjunction with the above risk group classifications to determine appropriate biosafety levels and safety precautions.
Risk Group Classification for Infectious Agents
This searchable database of international risk group classifications for bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites provide information to be used as a starting point for the risk assessment and the determination of the biosafety level to be used when working in the laboratory. For printable version, see American Biological Safety Association web site, http://www.absa.org/riskgroups/index.html
Primary Containment for Biohazards: Selection, Installation and Use of Biological Safety Cabinets
CDC/NIH publication provides everything you need to know about biological safety cabinets. For information on how to use biological safety cabinets, go to Section 5. http://www.cdc.gov/od/ohs/biosfty/bsc/bsc.htm
The World Health Organization Laboratory Biosafety Manual, Second Edition 2003
This document is a good resource for lab safety questions and procedures to incorporate into SOPs. Topics include risk assessment, biosafety cabinets, equipment designed to reduce biological hazards, good microbiological techniques and many more.
NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules
Responsibilities of the principal investigator can be found in Section IV-B-7. Appendix B contains the Classification of Human Etiologic Agents on the Basis of Hazard (Risk Group Classification). http://www4.od.nih.gov/oba/rac/guidelines/guidelines.html
A Practical Guide to Containment: Greenhouse Research with Transgenic Plants and Microbes
This 60-page Guide is intended as a simple and convenient reference on appropriate biosafety and containment levels for GMO research conducted in greenhouses. It will help clarify what level of containment is needed and what measures are sufficient to achieve the various biosafety levels. This Guide was written so that anyone who works in a greenhouse that houses transgenic materials will be better informed about the purpose of containment, the variety of methods used to achieve it, and the facilities and practices that satisfy the requirements of established guidelines and regulations. It is intended as guidance and should not be considered an authoritative source.
University of Minnesota Policies and Procedures
Bloodborne and Other Pathogens Exposure Control Plan
University of Minnesota procedures for working with bloodborne and other pathogens. This exposure control plan covers all employees who may come in contact with bloodborne and all other potential pathogens.
Infectious and Pathological Waste Management Plan
University of Minnesota procedures for the collection, storage, transportation, and disposal of infectious and pathological waste.
The University of Minnesota administrative policy - Policy 2.1.13 Using Potentially Hazardous Biological Agent in Research and Teaching (2004)
The responsible University Officer for the implementation of this policy is the Vice President for Research and oversight is provided by the Department of Environmental Health and Safety (DEHS) and the Office of Regulatory Affairs. The University of Minnesota has designated the Director of DEHS as the responsible Official (RO), as defined by 42 CFR Part 73. The biosafety officer and the biosafety specialists in DEHS provide operational management and support for the implementation of this policy compliance with the select agent regulations.
The University of Minnesota Board of Regents policy - Research involving Recombinant DNA and Hazardous Biological Materials (1994)
This policy assigns the responsibility for insuring compliance with applicable state and federal regulations in the conduct of research involving all hazardous biological materials to the University Biosafety Officer (BSO) and the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). The Vice President for Research is responsible for the oversight of this policy. The BSO and the IBC review and monitor research projects involving the use of biological agents.