Report an Incident
In the event of a fire, serious injury or other life-threatening situation, call 911.
If an incident involving recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules, biohazardous agents, materials or toxins occurs, follow the guidelines below. An incident can be a spill, work-related injury, sickness or exposure.
If a spill occurs, the following must take place:
- Isolate the area and if possible, contain the spill
- Contact the PI and Biosafety Officer immediately at 512-471-3511 (24-hour hotline)
- Once the spill is cleaned up, submit an Incident Notification Form to EHS
In the event of a needle stick, bite, scratch or direct contact (splash to skin or face):
- Flush wound or point of contact
- Contact the PI and Biosafety Officer immediately at 512-471-3511 (24-hour hotline)
- Contact the ARC Director at 512-471-7534 if the incident involved animals
- For minor work-related injuries and exposures to biohazardous materials during regular business hours call the HealthPoint Occupational Health Program at 512-471-4OHP (4647)
- After hours instructions are available on the HealthPoint Occupational Health Program website
- Once the injury or exposure has been attended to, submit an Incident Notification Form to EHS
Select Agents and Toxins
The use, possession or transfer of a biological material listed by the CDC as a Select Agent and/or Select Toxin, and not listed as an exempt strain or quantity requires registration through the Federal Select Agent program. Researchers must notify Environmental Health and Safety before working with a select agent or toxin.
Exempt Quantities of Select Toxins
Per the federal regulations, each principal investigator (PI) may possess up to a specified amount of Select Agent Toxin and not be required to register with the CDC or USDA. It is important to ensure that the total amount of toxin per PI is maintained below these limits at all times in order to remain exempt from registration with the CDC and the attendant restrictive requirements. See the CDC/USDA Permissible Toxin Amount list for details on each total amount allowed by toxin.
Due to the severe penalties associated with non-compliance with the Select Agent rules, it is imperative that each laboratory maintains current inventory information for these substances.
Requirements for the possession of exempt quantities of Select Toxins
- Research using Select Agent Toxins must be registered with the IBC
- Researchers that work with exempt quantities of select toxins must complete an annual self-evaluation
- Researchers must follow the Working with Select Agent Toxin (Exempt Quantities) SOP
Failure to register a Select Agent toxin is a criminal offense, punishable by up to five years in prison and/or $500,000 in fines (Public Health Security & Preparedness Response Act of 2002).
Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC)
Dual use research of concern (DURC) is a subset of dual use research defined as life sciences research that, based on current understanding, can be reasonably anticipated to provide knowledge, information, products or technologies that could be directly misapplied to pose a significant threat with broad potential consequences to public health and safety, agricultural crops and other plants, animals, the environment, materiel or national security.
The United States Government Policy for Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern (IODURC) outlines the criteria for what qualifies as Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC).
Research involving unattenuated versions of any of the following agents may qualify:
- Avian influenza virus (highly pathogenic)
- Bacillus anthracis
- Botulinum neurotoxin (For the purposes of this policy, there are no exempt quantities of botulinum neurotoxin. Research involving any quantity of botulinum neurotoxin should be evaluated for DURC potential.)
- Burkholderia mallei
- Burkholderia pseudomallei
- Ebola virus
- Foot-and-mouth disease virus
- Francisella tularensis
- Marburg virus
- Reconstructed 1918 Influenza virus
- Rinderpest virus
- Toxin-producing strains of Clostridium botulinum
- Variola major virus
- Variola minor virus
- Yersinia pestis
It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to identify his or her research involving one or more of these agents or toxins listed in IODURC Section 6.2.1 and notify the IBC of that research to be reviewed for its DURC potential.
NIH Guidelines and Biosafety Resources
NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines)
NIH Biosafety Guidance
NIH Guidelines Risk Groups
Animal Experiments Covered Under the NIH Guidelines
Guidance on Biosafety Considerations for Research with Lentiviral Vectors
Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) 6th Edition
Risk Group Database
Pathogen Safety Data Sheets and Risk Assessment
HHS and USDA Select Agents and Toxins
Dual Use Research of Concern and US Government Policy on Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern
USDA Animal and Plant Inspection Service Biotechnology Regulatory services (APHIS/BRS)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
CDC MMWR Guidelines for Biosafety Laboratory Competency
IBC Contacts
Ryan Gray, Ph.D.
IBC Chair, College of Natural Sciences
ryan.gray@austin.utexas.edu
Enamul Huq, Ph.D.
IBC Vice-Chair, College of Natural Sciences
huq@austin.utexas.edu
Questions?
Send all protocol-related matters to ibc@austin.utexas.edu