General Biosafety
The purpose of the Texas Christian University (TCU) Biosafety program is to promote the safe use of biological agents in the university teaching and research laboratories. TCU has established an Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) to assist in providing guidelines and policies for biological safety to ensure that laboratory personnel are trained in the hazard and safe handling procedures of biological agents.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define biological hazards (biohazards) as:
"Infectious agents presenting a risk or potential risk to the well-being of human other animals either directly thought infection or indirectly though disruption of the environment."
At TCU, students, faculty, and staff involved in laboratory work with potentially hazardous biological material should be aware of biosafety precautions and occupational procedures.
Additional information regarding biosafety, including members of the IBC, can be found on the Research Compliance Biosafety page.
Requirements for Researchers and Teaching Labs
Principal Investigators (PI) and course professors must obtain protocol approval from
the Institutional Biosafety Committee before beginning activities working with biohazardous materials in research and teaching
laboratories.
An approved protocol will consist of:
- A description of the work to be conducted with the biohazardous material
- Establishment of the biosafety level containment
- Identification of the researcher, lab workers, and collaborators
- Authorization of the PI to conduct the work
- Identification of approved work locations
PIs are responsible for keeping their protocol current at all times.
Resources & Forms
Biological Safety in Research Policy
Training
Prior to beginning work with any biohazardous materials, all personnel must complete
the relevant training. Training will be administered through the Collaborative Institutional
Training Initiative (CITI Program). CITI completion certificates must be provided
to the IBC at the time of protocol submission. The Principal Investigator (PI) must
add all project personnel to the appropriate IBC active protocol. The required training
will depend on the type of activity being conducted. Additional information is available
on the IBC Training site.
Online training, administered via HSI/SafetySkills, is assigned to students enrolled in various identified undergraduate Biology courses. Assignment of the online courses is overseen by the Environmental Health and Safety office. For further training information contact safety@tcu.edu or call 817-257-5395.
Laboratory Safety: Biological Hazards - UNV-4.2
Individuals will be introduced to the basics of laboratory biosafety Laboratory Biosafety
Level (BSLs). Additionally, this online course addresses common biological hazards,
personal protective equipment, housekeeping, decontamination, working after hours,
and common first aid practices. This course was designed in accordance with guidelines
from the US Centers for Disease Control, as well as applicable OSHA standards.
Biosafety Level 2 - LAB-13.2
This online course addresses the general protections and requirements for BSL-2 environments.
Included is recognition of basic biosafety considerations in laboratories, identification
of BSL-2 facility considerations, and identification of appropriate personal protective
equipment.
Laboratory Safety in Research and Education - UNV-8.2
This online course focuses on the identification of common physical hazards and related
safe work practices as recommended by OSHA. The use of personal protective equipment
and standard emergency response procedures for laboratory work is also addressed.