Conduct Research With Hazardous Biological Materials example essay topic

436 words
Faculty and staff conducting projects that involve hazardous biological materials (including recombinant DNA), radiological materials, or hazardous chemical waste materials must have prior approval and must comply with all relevant government regulations. SIUC's Center for Environmental Health and Safety (453-7180) oversees the approval committees described below and monitors compliance. BIOLOGICAL SAFETY SIUC's Institutional Biosafety Committee and Biological Safety Officer are responsible for ensuring that faculty and staff who conduct research with hazardous biological materials comply with the most recently published federal and state standards for such research. Biological materials covered by the standards include living organisms, products produced by such organisms, organic chemicals produced to mimic activity / actions of such products, and recombinant DNA molecules. Biological materials are considered hazardous if they present a direct or indirect risk to the well-being of humans, animals, or plants.

Any SIUC researcher who plans to conduct research involving potentially hazardous biological materials or recombinant DNA must submit to the Institutional Biosafety Committee a memorandum of understanding and agreement (MUA) describing the work and the safeguards to be used. The proposed project must be approved by the committee before activities can begin. For more information and for copies of the appropriate MUA form, contact the Biological Safety Officer at 453-7188. RADIOLOGICAL CONTROL SIUC holds licenses issued by the Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety that contain specifications governing research projects that involve radiological materials. All research conducted at the University must be done within the framework established by the licenses and various other state and federal regulations. SIUC's Radiological Control Committee formulates policies for uniform practice throughout the University wherever radioactive materials or radiation-producing devices are involved.

Prior approval of the committee must be obtained by any University personnel who plan to use radioactive materials in their work. The appropriate application forms are available from the Radiation Safety Office, 536-2015. HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL WASTE The Hazardous Waste Oversight Advisory Committee formulates University policy for managing and disposing of hazardous chemical waste materials and complying with government regulations concerning such materials. Researchers whose projects will involve the generation of hazardous chemical waste should consult the Chemical Waste Management Guide (available in departments or from the Center for Environmental Health and Safety) for information about the procedures to be followed, or they may contact the center at 453-7180. There are no disposal options for 'mixed waste' -- i. e., waste that is both chemically hazardous and radioactive.

Consequently, research involving the use or generation of such waste will not be approved by any of SIUC's regulatory committees.