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CHAPTER 6 - UNIVERSITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES

Sec. 6.35. Biohazardous Experiments

Because certain biological experiments may be potentially hazardous for human health or the well-being of other species, the following procedures will govern all experiments, both in student laboratories and research laboratories, that involve hazardous biological materials.

1. The Vice President for Research shall appoint a faculty Biohazards Committee. This Committee will have the following responsibilities:

a. to develop a manual, Guidelines for Research and Instruction Using Biological Materials That Are Potentially Hazardous. This manual will specify the minimum standards for handling hazardous biological materials to assure safe practices as well as compliance with various governmental standards. The manual should be revised as necessary to reflect current practices.

b. to review facilities in which such experiments are conducted, rating the facilities in accordance with standards set forth in the Guidelines.

c. to review all proposed experiments, whether sponsored or not, that involve biohazardous materials, to assure that facilities and procedures conform to minimum standards. For sponsoring agencies that require such review, the Biohazards Committee is the official review committee for all applications submitted by The University.

d. to advise The University community on safe handling of biological materials and to keep it informed of new developments that influence the handling of such materials.

2. The operations manual, Guidelines for Research and Instruction Using Biological Materials That Are Potentially Hazardous, will be distributed by the Vice President for Research to deans, department chairmen, and directors of units in which biological experiments are conducted. These Guidelines will be made accessible to all faculty and staff working with biological materials and to other interested persons.

3. It is the responsibility of individual faculty and staff to become familiar with the contents of the Guidelines and to assure that the minimal standards prescribed by the Guidelines are observed in all laboratory operations.