Chapter 3: Biological and Chemical Safety
3.1 Biological and Chemical Safety
The Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) is responsible for monitoring the safe use and disposal of chemical and biological materials at the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é and for ensuring compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, including but not limited to, prudent laboratory practices, National Institutes of Health guidelines, requirements of the Centers for Disease Control, the U. S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Texas Department of State Health Services, and the Texas Health and Safety Code.
3.1.1 Hazardous chemical training, laboratory safety training, and biological safety training are required of all Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é personnel and students who will use these materials during the course of their work and research. All Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é personnel seeking to utilize hazardous chemicals and/or biological materials must register for and receive appropriate mandatory training from EH&S.
3.1.2 Supervisors, faculty, lead researchers, and Principal Investigators are further responsible to ensure that all personnel and students under their supervision receive appropriate and specific instruction to address the hazards of specific equipment, chemicals or biological materials used in their work and/or research.
3.1.3 Prior to the start of research activities and protocols involving infectious agents 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). IBC procedures may be found in the Biosafety Manual published at the EH&S procedural manuals website.