Sharps

Labs that use needles, razor blades, or other sharps must have a red sharps waste container. Sharps waste containers are located in the Stepan Chemistry Hall Stockroom upon request. Sharps waste containers should be located close to work that requires needle use, as transporting sharps across lab spaces to waste containers is highly dangerous and is not safe laboratory practice. After using needles, avoid recapping. Syringes with needles should not be recapped prior to being discarded in the sharps container.

Do not remove uncapped needles from the syringe as doing so increases the risk of needlestick injuries. Discard the syringe with the uncapped needle directly into the sharps waste container. For syringes that are too large to discard, or if reusing the syringe is desired, use needles that contain a needlestick prevention mechanism (such as the Sol-Care Safety Needles). Engineered safe recapping mechanisms should be used to protect yourself and others against needlestick injuries when transporting needles across lab spaces, removing needles from syringes, or as a precautionary measure to increase laboratory safety when appropriate.

Biosafety (BSL-1/BSL-2/BSL-3)

BSL-1

Biosafety Level 1 (BSL-1) laboratories typically work with low-risk biological agents that pose virtually no threat to healthy human life and the environment. BSL-1 labs do not require a specialized biosafety walkthrough conducted by RMS but do require biosafety training on Endeavor, which can be found on inside ND or by searching “Notre Dame Endeavor” or by signing into okta and clicking here. Biohazard stickers are available upon request from RMS to label necessary equipment once training has been completed. Biosafety level 1 signage should be posted outside of the laboratory space.

BSL-2

Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) laboratories typically work with biological agents that are associated with disease and thus pose a moderate threat to healthy human life and environment. BSL-2 labs require a specialized biosafety walkthrough conducted by RMS. For incoming laboratory personnel, the Hepatitis B vaccination form must be available within 10 days of the initial laboratory start date. Laboratory personnel should fill out paperwork either denying or accepting the Hepatitis B vaccination offered at the Wellness Center. Biosafety level 2 signage must be posted outside the laboratory space.

RMS should be aware of all biological agents being housed in the laboratory space. Laboratory personnel responsible for discarding biological agent waste must have documented autoclave training. All biosafety waste must be appropriately decontaminated prior to disposal. All equipment used for biological work must be labeled with a biohazard sticker (available upon request from RMS). Each laboratory should have a biological SOP available for all laboratory members and an updated record of all biosafety-related training compliance must be kept. Biosafety cabinets should be inspected and certified on a yearly basis. Contact your building manager if your biosafety cabinet is not up-to-date on certification. Vacuum traps used for biological work must be labeled, kept in a secondary container, and regularly emptied and disinfected.

All BSL-2 laboratories must have a biosafety-specific spill kit composed of a disinfectant (a bottle of bleach labeled for biological spill kit use) and absorbent material to appropriately contain biological spills. Biological spill kits should be kept at an accessible location that is labeled for visual access.

BSL-3

All previous stipulations for BSL-1 and BSL-2 laboratories apply, with the requirement of additional training programs along with an annual hands on safety training from the BSL-3 Lab Manager. BSL-3 also includes more strict PPE requirements than BSL-1/BSL-2 laboratories. For more information on BSL-3, please read the biosafety manual found below.

An answer to any other potential questions may be found in the Universities Biosafety Manual or directed to the RMS Biosafety Officer, Alex Molesan (amolesan@nd.edu)