Welcome to the Rhode Island College Biosafety website. The purpose of this site is to provide guidance and resources to ensure any research involving recombinant DNA or biological material is conducted in a manner that protects the health of researchers, the RIC community, and the environment. Some of the guidance requires active participation of principal investigators to comply and adhere to the policies of RIC, Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. We appreciate efforts to streamline project registration procedures and welcome any suggestions from principal investigators and the broader community.

LINKS AND USEFUL RESOURCES

CELL AND TISSUE CULTURE BIOSAFETY

Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) 5th Edition

American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) Risk Group Categories

World Health Organization (WHO) Biosafety

Health Canada Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines

OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens

RECOMBINANT DNA BIOSAFETY

NIH Guidelines For Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules

Guide to NIH recombinant DNA guidelines

CDC/NIH Biosafety Levels

(1) BIOSAFETY 1 (BSL1) is suitable for work involving well-characterized agents not known to cause disease in healthy adult humans, and of minimal potential hazard to laboratory personnel and the environment.

(2) BIOSAFETY LEVEL 2 (BSL2) is similar to Level 1 and is suitable for work involving agents of moderate potential hazard to personnel and the environment.

(3) BIOSAFETY LEVEL 3 (BSL3) is applicable to clinical, diagnostic, teaching, research, or production facilities in which work is done with indigenous or exotic agents which may cause serious or potentially lethal disease as a result of exposure by the inhalation route.

(4) BIOSAFETY LEVEL 4 (BSL4) is required for work with dangerous and exotic agents which pose a high individual risk of aerosol-transmitted laboratory infections and life-threatening disease.

NIH Risk Group Levels

(1) Risk Group 1 (RG1) agents are not associated with disease in healthy adult humans.

(2) Risk Group 2 (RG2) agents are associated with human disease which is rarely serious and for which preventive or therapeutic interventions are often available.

(3) Risk Group 3 (RG3) agents are associated with serious or lethal human disease for which preventive or therapeutic interventions may be available.

(4) Risk Group 4 (RG4) agents are likely to cause serious or lethal human disease for which preventive or therapeutic interventions are not usually available.

LABORATORY & CHEMICAL SAFETY

NIH Laboratory Safety Monograph (pdf)

OSHA Pocket guide to chemical hazards

OSHA Chemical safety

NIOSH School Chemistry Laboratory Safety