Lab Notes

SAFETY NEWS FOR UC SAN DIEGO RESEARCHERS

October 2021- Issue No. 121

Innovation in Biosafety & Biosecurity — Special Edition

This is a special edition of Lab Notes focusing on biosafety. October is Biosafety Month! During this month, UC San Diego celebrates innovation in biosafety and biosecurity.

Research Safety Buyer’s Guide

Don’t spend all day searching through Oracle to find the right supplies for your lab. The Research Safety Buyer’s Guide includes categories of items vetted by the Research Safety Department to ensure your lab is compliant. If you would like additional categories added or have a safety product you’d like to share with the research community, you can email ehsbio@ucsd.edu with your suggestions.

Does Your Biological Research Require Oversight by the Institutional Biosafety Committee?

The Campus Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and the Human Gene Therapy Institutional Biosafety Committee (HGT IBC) oversee research involving biological materials/recombinant or synthetic nucleic acids in a research lab or a clinical space. To find out if your research requires approval by an IBC prior to start of work, check out the Biosafety Program blink page. If you are adding research projects, additional information on navigating the Biohazard Use Authorization can be found at Apply for and Manage a BUA.

Permits Prevent Fines

The movement of biological materials such as genetically modified organisms, plant and agricultural pests, animals and animal products, or an infectious agent may require permits to import into the U.S. or to move between states. The Biosafety Program at UC San Diego can assist researchers in determining when a permit would be required.

If you are receiving a package containing biological materials, you may require a biological material permit for importation or interstate movement licenses. Read more about biological materials import permit requirements.
Packages containing biological materials being shipped from the university may require export licenses, export certificates for animal products (including cell lines), and phytosanitary certificates for export of plant materials including seeds. Read more about UC San Diego Export Control Requirements.
Don’t let your materials become stuck in customs or run the risk of costly fines. Even if you think your material may be exempt from permitting or licensing requirements, please contact EHS Biosafetyor the Export Control Office for assistance.

Hazard Control Plans (HCPs) for Biological Materials

At UC San Diego, a hazard control plan (HCP) is a standard operating procedure describing how a laboratory handles a hazardous material and pertinent engineering, administrative, or personal protective equipment in place to ensure a safe work environment. HCPs incorporate risk assessments, planning, and step-by-step safety protocols.

UC San Diego requires investigators to implement standard operating procedures using the Hazard Control Plan Application. Researchers are required to review, acknowledge, and adopt HCPs assigned by the investigator.

Biological Materials Hazard Control Plan Templates

These templates are approved by UC San Diego Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) for work with biological materials identified as hazardous. Some HCPs are agent-specific, others are grouped by hazard class.

For guidance with navigating and completing your Biological Materials HCPs, please refer to Navigating Your BIO HCPs.

When completing the lab-specific instructions for the different HCPs, carefully address the Biosafety concerns. List where and how the work with the particular material can be handled (i.e., open bench or BSC, extra PPE required). Describe specific disposal considerations or disinfection and cleaning routines required.

Blunting Sharps

Sharps such as needles, scalpels, and scissors are necessary tools for many research procedures. The use of sharps increases the risk of injury when working with biological materials. Replacing sharps with blunt-ended tools or purchasing sharps with engineered sharps protection reduces the risk of accidental injury/exposure.

If you work with human blood, mouse xenografts, or HeLa cells, you are covered under the UC San Diego's Bloodborne Pathogens Program.
Any procedure involving the potential for an exposure incident (manipulation of human blood, blood products, tissues, or cell lines using a syringe, or any injection of these materials into animals, etc.), requires the use of engineered sharps. Read more about the engineered sharps protection requirement.
See Engineered Sharps Vendors and the UC San Diego Research Safety Buyer’s Guide to purchase engineered sharps.
Consider using blunt needles as an alternative for applications like homogenization of cell and tissue lysates. Blunt needle models are listed on the UC San Diego Research Safety Buyer’s Guide.
Additionally, restrain devices or other barriers are recommended even when using engineered sharps protection devices if the use of the sharps could result in an accidental needlestick or cut when performing the procedure. Contact IACUC or ehsbio@ucsd.edu for advice on use of such devices.

Disinfectants

Did you know disinfectants have a shelf life? Disinfectant efficacy can be reduced by light exposure, humidity, temperature, and age of the diluted and stock solution. For example, 10% bleach solutions used for surface disinfection should be made fresh, stored away from light, and discarded after a maximum of seven days. Never use purchased chemical disinfectants after the marked expiration date. Review guidance for surface disinfection in laboratories and disinfection of liquid biohazardous waste.

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