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Biohazard Safety

Biohazard Safety

Safety Levels at the IMIL Facility:

  • Most labs are Biosafety Level 1 (BSL-1)
  • Bringing high-risk materials is not allowed: BSL-3, BSL-4 agents, and radioactive materials are strictly always prohibited in the facility.
  • Some labs can be converted to BSL-2: These rooms require special permission to work with BSL-2 materials.

How to request BSL-2 conversion:

  • Request permission first: If you want to use a BSL-2 room (including bringing animals), go to the request services tab in iLabs: https://tamu.corefacilities.org/service_center/6207/?tab=services . Scroll down to Biosafety Level Conversion. Read the instructions and click the "request service" button
  • Get approval for your research: Before bringing any BSL-1 or BSL-2 material (including animals) to the facility, you need two things:
    • Approval on your Texas A&M Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) permit for using the specific microscope and support rooms you need.
    • Provide Dr. Murphy with information about the specific risks involved in your research.
  • Get special approval each time you use BSL-2: EVERY TIME you plan to do BSL-2 experiments, you must fill out the IMIL Biosafety Conversion Service Request and get written approval from Dr. Murphy. Approval from Dr. Murphy will not be granted until the Office of Biosafety (OB), has received all documentation and approved the conversion. 
  • Follow safety procedures once approved:
    • Dr. Murphy will post the appropriate entry signs.
    • Appropriate procedures will be implemented and enforced.
    • You will be assigned a BSL-2 conversion kit.

Additional Safety Rules:

  • Animal surgery: If your BSL-2 research involves surgery on animals, it must be done in a biosafety cabinet. Animals must also be transported in secondary containment. 
  • Report spills immediately: Any spills of BSL-2 materials, large spills (more than 25 ml) of BSL-1 materials, or spills of genetically modified BSL-1 materials must be reported immediately.
    • Contact Dr. Malea Murphy and the Office of Biosafety at 979-862-4549 or biosafety@tamu.edu.
    • If it's after hours, call the Communications Center at 979-845-4311 for help.

In the event of a spill, spill kits can be found in each laboratory. Assess personnel involved first. If any biohazardous material gets in your eyes, flush your eyes at the nearest eyewash immediately. Remove any contaminated clothing or personal protective equipment (PPE) and wash any exposed areas of skin with soap and water. Put on clean clothing (if necessary) and fresh PPE (i.e., lab coat, gloves, and eye protection) before cleaning the spill. NOTIFY DR. MURPHY IMMEDIATELY. Cover the spill with paper towels. Consider that the spill may extend farther than you think and may have contaminated other surfaces nearby. Apply agent-appropriate disinfectant on the spill area, working from just outside the margins of the spill towards the center. Use only 70% ethanol on the microscope and optical table. If possible, Dr. Murphy will decontaminate the microscope and any other sensitive equipment. Allow for sufficient disinfectant contact time. Note: minimum contact time may vary, depending on the disinfectant(s) in use and the agent(s) being treated. Pick up any broken glass using forceps, tongs, or a broom and dustpan. NEVER pick up glass with your bare hands. Ensure glass is decontaminated before disposing in broken glass or sharps container. Dispose of bleach-soaked paper towels (or other absorbent materials) as non- biohazardous waste. Other solid biohazardous wastes must be collected into a biohazard waste bag and autoclaved. Bleach containing solutions or materials should NOT be autoclaved. Repeat disinfection of the spill site to ensure the area is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Immediately report any spill of risk group 2 materials outside the biosafety cabinet, any spill of risk group 1 material in excess of 25 ml, and any spill of recombinantly modified risk-group 1 material to Dr. Malea Murphy and to the Office of Biosafety by calling 979-862-4549 or e-mailing biosafety@tamu.edu. For after- hours spill emergencies, please call the Communications Center at 979-845-4311 for assistance.