Chapter 3: Biological and Chemical Safety

3.1 Purpose

The Environmental Health and Safety Department (EH&S) is responsible for monitoring the safe use and disposal of chemical and biological materials at The 91Ů�� of Texas at El Paso (91Ů��) and for ensuring compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations, including but not limited to, prudent laboratory practices, National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines, and requirements of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS), and the Texas Health and Safety Code.

3.2 Policy Statement and Applicability

This policy applies to faculty, staff, students, and affiliated personnel handling hazardous chemicals or biological materials on 91Ů�� property, including but not limited to campus teaching and research laboratories or spaces. The policy sets forth requirements for the safe use of these materials in order to mitigate risk and potential exposure.

3.3 Responsibilities

3.3.1 Hazardous chemical training, laboratory safety training, hazardous machinery safety training, and biological safety training are required of all 91Ů�� personnel and students who will use these materials or equipment during the course of their work and research. All 91Ů�� faculty, staff, and students seeking to utilize hazardous chemicals and/or biological materials must register for and complete the mandatory General Laboratory Safety class and the Biosafety/Bloodborne Pathogens safety training class from EH&S.

3.3.2 Supervisors, faculty, lead researchers, and Principal Investigators (PI) are responsible for ensuring that all personnel and students under their supervision receive appropriate and specific instruction to address the hazards of specific equipment, machinery, chemicals, or biological materials used in their work and/or research prior to the start of projects or research with hazardous material or equipment.

3.3.3 Supervisors, faculty, lead researchers, and PIs are responsible for performing a risk assessment of proposed laboratory projects and research activities to allow for risk reduction opportunities and procedures to be included in research work plans, protocols, and procedures. The risk assessment must also ensure that appropriate equipment including safety equipment and personal protective equipment is readily available and maintained in working order for laboratory personnel and students.

3.3.4 Prior to the start of research activities and protocols involving infectious agents, research animals, arthropods, human blood, or recombinant DNA, researchers shall seek pre-approval of the proposed research and continuing approval of the proposed research through submission of specific information for the consideration of the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) as applicable. IBC and IACUC procedures may be found in the Biosafety Manual published at the EH&S procedural manuals website. PIs, faculty, staff, and laboratory directors shall consult with the Biological Safety Officer on the proposed research activities to ensure biosafety practices and opportunities to reduce risk are included in the protocol submission to the IBC and IACUC.

3.3.5 Laboratory personnel and students shall only work with those hazardous chemicals, biological materials, or machinery that they have been trained to handle. Laboratory personnel must follow established laboratory standard operating procedures (SOP), approved work plans or protocols, chemical safety data sheets, and safety guidance offered in the EH&S safety manuals.

3.3.6 Supervisors, faculty, lead researchers, PIs, laboratory personnel, and students must report all accidents and injuries to the EH&S Department.