Laboratory Safety Guidelines and Training Requirements

In according with the Texas Hazardous Communication Act, the Texas Administrative Code, the Code of Federal Regulations, the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules (NIH Guidelines), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA 29 CFR 1910) Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, and Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) 5th Edition, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center is required to train all laboratory employees who may be exposed to hazardous chemicals and biohazard material in the laboratory. 

All employees are required to be adequately trained on the containment of biological and chemical agents and/or material.  In addition employees must be informed about the physical and health hazards of associated with the biological and chemical agents and/or materials present within their work environment.  This information must include facility specific methods designed to minimizing the risk of exposure.

“Laboratory employees” includes faculty, staff, and students who work in a laboratory setting.  For this document the term “student” includes all graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, as well as visiting scientists who work in laboratories.

Site specific training is required and is determined by the occupational duties defined by the employee’s job description.  The supervisor is responsible to ensure this training is completed prior to an employee having access to hazards used and/or stored within the lab.  Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) highly recommends that supervisor document this training and provide access to safety documentation, MSDS's, standard operating procedures, institutional policies, and institutionally approved protocols.

TRAINING REQUIRED FOR ALL RESEARCH STAFF, STUDENTS, AND FACULTY  

• Complete Laboratory Safety Training: SCHEDULED TRAINING

• NIH Guideline Training: SCHEDULED TRAINING

• Hazardous Chemical Waste Management Training: SCHEDULED TRAINING

• Biosafety Refresher Training:  SCHEDULED TRAINING

• CPR and AED Training:  SCHEDULED TRAINING

TRAINING REQUIRED BASED ON OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS AND/OR DUTIES

• Bloodborne Pathogen Training:  SCHEDULED TRAINING

• Select Agent Training:  SCHEDULED, PROGRAM SPECIFIC

• Controlled Substances Training:  NON SCHEDULED AND BY REQUEST

• Hot Spot Training for Specific Safety and/or Environmental Concerns:  NON SCHEDULED AND BY REQUEST.

TRAINING REQUIRED BY REMEDIATION:

• Exposure and/or Incident Remediation Training:  NON SCHEDULED AND BY REQUEST.

TRAINING REQUIRED FOR INTRA-LABORATORY ACTIVITIES

• Site-Specific Hazard Communication:   SCHEDULED BY SUPERVISOR

Course Description:

Complete Laboratory Safety Training:

The Complete Laboratory Safety Training consists of 3 Modules comprising of chemical and biological safety, as well as the regulatory requirements that serve as the driving force behind safety enforcement.

Module 1:  Chemical Safety and the Right To Know  

This Module will cover employee rights, physical hazards, health hazards (e.g. both the acute and chronic effects of hazardous chemical exposure), proper labeling, material safety data sheets, personal protective equipment, first-aid, emergency response and hazardous chemical clean up.

Module 2:  Biosafety Training

This module will cover the definitions of biological and biohazardous materials, risks groups, biosafety containment levels and controls, biosafety policy, the role of UT Southwestern Safety Committees, and other general biosafety principles and requirements. This course will also cover waste disposal, incident reporting, and spill cleanup procedures.

Module 3:  Bloodborne Pathogen Training

This module will cover the safe work practices for laboratory workers who work with or are exposed to human blood and body fluids or other potentially infectious materials. It will cover the definition of bloodborne pathogens, mode of transmission, exposure control, universal precautions, biohazard labeling, personal protective equipment, engineering controls, emergency response, waste disposal, and spill clean-up.

NIH Guideline Training:

This course is designed to inform principal investigators (PI's) specific to the requirements of the NIH Guideline For Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules (NIH Guidelines), April 2002 and to provide information regarding the roles and responsibilities of personnel completing recombinant DNA (rDNA) research. The course will cover the following topics according to the NIH Guideline:

•         The governmental and Institutional responsibilities.

•         The required safety consideration.

•         The classification of research projects and defined experiments.

•         The procedures specific to rDNA Research Registration and the required institutional approval.

•         The applicable appendices of the NIH Guidelines.

Hazardous Biological and Chemical Waste Management Training:

This course will describe the proper way of managing, storing, labeling and disposing of waste generated in the laboratory according to institutional and regulatory guidelines on hazardous waste management. The course will cover the following:

•         How hazardous waste is defined by regulatory and/or institutional rules.

•         How regulators and/or the institution assign waste disposal responsibilities.

•         How to properly dispose of biological and chemical waste.

•          How to dispose of empty chemical containers.

•         How to segregate chemical waste according to hazard class.

•         How to segregate biological waste for autoclave or incineration.

•         How to correctly store and label hazardous waste.

•         How schedule a waste pick request.

•         How to complete hazard waste pick forms.

•         How to classify waste according the regulatory requirements (e.g. U listed and P listed waste.)

Biosafety Refresher Training:

This training is required for all employees who work with and/or around biological material classified at Biosafety Level 1 or greater. This course will focus on good microbiological practices and will reinforce the basics principles of biosafety. This course will cover the following:

•         The definitions of biological and biohazardous materials.

•         The biological risks group classifications.

•         The procedures required to safely handle biological material.

•         The general biosafety principles and requirements.

•         The biosafety containment levels and controls.

•         The proper methods of waste disposal.

•         The roles of UT Southwestern Committees.

•         The regulatory and/or institutional biosafety policy governing the use of biohazardous materials and agents

•         The proper response during events leading to theft, loss, and/or release.

•         The institutional requirements regarding incident reporting and all associated documentation

CPR and AED Training:

The Biological and Chemical Safety Program offers CPR and AED Training and Certification through the American Heart Association.  This training will provide the basic information necessary to complete CPR and use an AED.  These fundamentals will be reinforced through practical application involving CPR dummies and AED training units.  This course does not require a written test but the practical is required to receive a certification card.

Bloodborne Pathogens Training:

Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) training is required by the Texas Administrative Code Title 25 Part 1 Chapter 96 and is required by federal law according to OSHA Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030).  As required, anyone working with or exposed to human blood and body fluids and other potentially infectious materials must be trained about the hazardous of BBP they might be exposed to.  This course will cover the following:

•         The OSHA and UT Southwestern definition of what consist of a bloodborne pathogen,

•         The mode(s) of transmission.

•         The methods of exposure control.

•         The description and proper use of universal precautions including,

           •    personal protective equipment.

           •    engineering controls. 

•         The proper methods of waste disposal.

•         The type of and requirements specific to biohazard labeling.

•         The proper response during events leading to theft, loss, and/or release.

•         The institutional requirements regarding incident reporting and all associated documentation

Select Agent Training:

As required by 42 CFR 73 an institution registered with the Center For Disease Control Division of Select Agent and Toxins must complete annual training on the Select Agent and Toxin Program.  This training must contain all requirements as outlined by the CFR specific to the institutional Select Agent and Toxin Program.  The annual training contents are security sensitive and are only presented to employees as required by the UT Southwestern Select Agent and Toxin Program

Controlled Substance Training:

As required by 21 CFR 1300 and the Texas Administrative Code an institution registered with the Drug Enforcement Agency and as Licensed by the State of Texas to dispense controlled substances, must enforce the proper use, storage, disposal, and documentation of those agents.  This training is designed to ensure each and every UT Southwestern employee who has access to controlled substances are fully aware of these federal, state, and institutional requirements.  The training is facility specific and its contents are security sensitive.  Under this sensitivity the training is only presented to employees as required by their specific controlled substance access.

Hot Spot Training for Specific Safety and/or Environmental Concerns:

EH&S offers training sessions designed to specifically address a designated     environmental health hazard.  The focus of this training is to inform the employee of their potential exposure, suggest methods to minimize that exposure, and to provide basic procedures for working in the proximity of the hazard. 

Exposure and/or Incident Remediation Training:

EH&S offers remediation training specific to exposures and/or incidents that occur on University Property, as well as involve a biological and/or chemical agent(s).  These training sessions can be structured toward the incident/exposure or can serve as a review of the courses offered by the Biological and Chemical Safety Program.  

Site-Specific Hazard Communication:

This training must cover all area and/or facility specific procedural techniques, protocols, and experimental design.  The training must be documented using either an institutional provided or supervisor defined form(s). This documentation must contain a signatory line indicating the employee has been trained regarding the specific chemical and biological hazard(s) in their laboratory or work area.

This training must be designed by the supervisor and provide facility instructions to all their employees and students on both chemicals and biohazardous material that are unique to their area. The PI's/lab supervisor is responsible for ensuring that all training is properly documented and that individuals working in their labs do not engage in activities for which they have not been trained.

E&HS Course Schedules and Enrollment

The schedules for these classes are below. Schedules for courses provided by EH&S are on the homepage. For information on enrolling in a course contact EH&S at 214-648-2250.