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Environmental Health and Safety

Biosafety Program

Millie Tran, Biosafety Officer, 619-594-2865 <mdizon@mail.sdsu.edu>

IBC Information and Highlights

June 2004

Training:

  • The Institutional Biosafety Officer, Millie Tran, will be contacting various departments within the next few months regarding biosafety training. This training will include chemical and biohazardous material storage, handling, decontamination, disinfection, waste disposal, transportation and transfer, biosafety cabinet, laboratory move, occupational health, emergency response, etc.

Important Biosafety Rules:

  • All research involving human and non-human primate cell lines must be conducted at BSL2 containment level. Work is to be performed in a biosafety cabinet, and all material decontaminated by autoclaving or disinfection before discarding. This BSL2 work must be done under Class II biosafety cabinets which have the necessary hepafilters installed, the cabinets are not required to be hard ducted to the outside of the building unless the investigator is working with volatile toxic chemicals.

  • According to NIH Guidelines: (Appendix G-II-B-2-g), “Animals not involved in the work being performed are not permitted in the laboratory.”

  • In a laboratory setting using BSL-1, BSL-2, or BSL-3 agents, only furniture approved for use in these facilities is allowed. For example, this would exclude beds.

  • The IBC has authorized the use of attenuated Salmonella Enterica sv. Typhimurium strain LT2 be conducted under BSL-1 conditions and containment level.

Disposal of Biohazardous Wastes:

  • Only biohazardous material should be put into RED biohazard bags. (These bags must not be used for disposing of normal trash or sharps). Insert a RED biohazard bag inside a rigid leak-proof container (no cardboard) and fold the edges over the lip of the container. Place a lid over the container except when materials are being added to the bag or the bag is removed for disposal.

  • When the red bag is one-half to two-thirds full, or as necessary due to odor, leakage, or lack of usage, close and tie off the bag. Remove the bag from the container and take to a centralized storage/collection area for contractor pick-up. Disposal service for the campus is once a week.

  • The bags shall be RED in color and conspicuously labeled with the international biohazard symbol and the word “Biohazard.” Before the first waste is placed in the bag, each bag shall be labeled as follows: San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182, 619-594-6778.

  • Ensure no protrusions from pipettes and no sharp or glass objects in bag. If the red bag is torn or punctured, it must be placed inside of second red bag that is appropriately labeled.

  • Sharps (needles, glass pipettes, blades, etc.) must be placed in a rigid, puncture-resistant, tamper-proof sharps container. Using containers of a commercial product as a sharps container is strictly prohibited.

  • When the sharps container is one-half to two-thirds full, or as necessary due to odor, leakage, or lack of usage, take the container to a centralized storage/collection area for contractor pick-up.

  • Sharps containers shall be labeled with the international biohazard symbol and the word “Biohazard.” Before the first sharps is placed in the container, each container shall be labeled as follows: San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182 619-594-6778.

Important Contacts and Information Resources:

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