The primary goal of the Biosafety Program is to facilitate the implementation of appropriate administrative policies, work practices, safety equipment, facility design and training programs for work involving biological hazards. The purpose of these functions is to minimize the risk of laboratory-acquired exposures and to promote full compliance with applicable biological safety regulations and guidelines.
The Biological Safety Program at Rensselaer provides oversight for research involving biological hazards such:
- Organisms classified as meeting BSL1 or greater criteria established in the Center for Disease Control’s BMBL 5th edition.
- Research involving recombinant DNA
- Research involving the use of human cells or cell cultures
- Select agents as defined by the CDC
Contact:
For further information regarding Rensselaer's Biosafety Program, contact EHS at ehs@rpi.edu.
Biological Safety is, at present, principally governed by restrictions formulated by the CDC and NIH for research entities using various hazardous agents and processes. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is using its powers of enforcement under the General Duty Clause to impose certain safety requirements on various aspects of biological safety programs.
Through the Vice President of Research and EHS, Rensselaer has developed guidelines and requirements for research involving potentially hazardous agents and processes. Further information for these requirements is available at the following two sources:
- Rensselaer Biosafety Manual
- Research Compliance - Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL)
Further guidance on the conduct of work when handling hazardous biological organisms is contained in the 5th edition of the BMBL, and researchers are strongly encouraged to become familiar with this document, especially the section on performing risk assessments. The risk assessments required by Rensselaer prior to the approval of the research will determine the engineering and work practice controls imposed for the research.
Specific program services may include:
- Communicate current biosafety regulations and guidelines to research personnel.
- Perform laboratory biosafety inspections to identify deficiencies and make recommendations to improve compliance and safety.
- Meet with new Principal Investigators to discuss biosafety compliance.
- Perform safety training including general biosafety, bloodborne pathogens, shipping biological materials, select agent compliance and site-specific biosafety training (as requested).
- Address all issues associated with select agent laboratory compliance.
- Provide biosafety technical expertise on topics such as disease transmission, risk assessments, disinfection and sterilization, lab operations, personal protective equipment and environmental controls.
- Provide guidance on the proper disposal of biohazard waste.
- Provide guidance on the selection, installation and use of biological safety cabinets and coordinate the annual certification of all biological safety cabinets.
- Provide guidance in the proper shipping of biological materials.
- Provide guidance and/or assistance with proper clean-up of biological spills.
- Investigate and provide follow-up for all reported work-related exposures to human blood, body fluids or other potentially infectious biological agents.
Policies and Procedures
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Animal Care Policy
Before entering the Bio-Research Core facilities at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, users are provided with a health questionnaire, and a risk assessment is conducted to determine if a participant should be enrolled in the Occupational Health and Safety Program (OHSP).This enrollment is determined based on exposure of Renssealer faculty, staff and students who may, in the course of their employment, research, or education, be exposed to vertebrae animals in a way that puts them at increased risk of an illness or injury. The OHSP was developed in compliance with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (National Research Council, eight edition), and Occupational Health and Safety in the care and use of Research of Animals (National Research Council, 1997).
In collaboration with the Bio-Research Core facilities, Rensselaer's Student Health Service, and the Institute Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Rensselaer's department of Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) conducts reviews of risk assessments questionnaires, and determines and tracks participant enrollment in the OHSP. Participants are provided with training to prevent animal allergies, and animal exposure surveillance is offered to those participants (including students, faculty or staff) who have significant contact with animals according to the Animal Exposure Surveillance Program (AESO).
Contact the Bio-Research Core Animal users if you have questions related to risk assessments and management, personal training, preventive medicine and medical treatment if required.
Contact
- Student Health and Wellness
- Environmental Health & Safety
- Bio-Research Core, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee IACUC
Resources
- Rensselaer's Bio-Research Core Facility Animal users Occupational Health and Safety Policy and Program
- Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
- Renssealer Polytechnic Institute Biosafety Program
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Bloodborne Pathogens Program
- Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) 5th Edition
Training
Bloodborne Pathogens
Biosafety
Laboratory Safety
Regulatory Agencies Regulations
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Shipping Dangerous Goods
Interstate shipment of etiologic agents is regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Department of Health. Packaging and shipping of biological materials must be done in a way that prevents leakage and ensures the package arrives at its destination in good condition. Improper shipping of hazardous/biological/radioactive materials can jeopardize the Institute’s regulatory compliance and result in civil charges against individuals. Environmental, Health, Safety and Risk Management must be contacted at (518) 276-2092 to approve all hazardous/ biological/ radioactive materials shipments originating from Rensselaer.
The terms hazardous materials and dangerous goods are often used interchangeably when discussing shipping. Shipments of hazardous materials are regulated by several agencies, including the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for all domestic and foreign shipments by air and by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for all ground shipments. All shipments of hazardous chemicals must be prepared by trained personnel. Unless a person has completed this training, they are not allowed to ship any hazardous materials by air, ground, or sea through companies such as Fed-Ex, UPS, and DHS. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ships dangerous goods domestically by Fed-Ex ground. Please contact the EHS at ehs@rpi.edu and submit information on chemicals, biological or radiological agents to be shipped; all biological and all radioactive shipments must be coordinated with the EHS office.
Review and use FedEx-ex ground shipping procedure and forms are available at Fed-Ex web site; please determine if the chemicals is in the attached HAZMAT Shipping Table 16.1 before preparing your shipping package. All sections of the shipping company form (located in their online web pages) must be completed and a safety data sheet (SDS) must be attached for the material. Note that the shipping forms must be completed before the chemicals can be shipped; shipments will not be scheduled unless the contract shipper receives a fully completed shipping form and a copy of the SDS. Also please note that departments or the persons requesting this service are responsible for paying all costs associated with shipping the chemicals.
If you have any questions about this form or making chemical shipments, please contact EHS at ehs@rpi.edu.
