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Biosafety

The biosafety program involves issues such as determining the proper biosafety level with which to perform research, making sure facilities and practices are in accordance with local, state and federal requirements, and consulting with investigators working with biological materials to make their lab a safer place to conduct research. The program has staff that can address most of your needs from laboratory ventilation questions to employee health.

red flag icon Notice: Do you use toxins in your research? Regulations have changed!

Effective December 4, 2012, additional actions (toxin due diligence) will be required of principal investigators, physicians, veterinarians, commercial manufacturers, distributors and all who may currently possess or use select agent toxins in excluded amounts. Click here to see toxin list.

If you currently work with one of these toxins, view additional information on requirements and how OH&S will help you comply.


Top frequently asked questions:
  1. How do I dispose of broken glass?
    If the broken glass IS contaminated with biologicals then it must be disposed of as a sharp in a sharps container. If the broken glass is NOT contaminated with biologicals then place the glass in a heavy cardboard box, tape it securely and label the outside of the box "broken glass". Place the box for regular trash pickup via Environmental Services.
  2. Who picks up sharps containers?
    All medical waste is managed by Stericycle. If you have pick-up questions contact Mark Mixon with Stericycle at 404-362-9313. If you are not sure what should be disposed of as a sharp you can contact OH&S at 934-9181.
  3. How often should I take the Bloodborne Pathogens class?
    The initial Bloodborne Pathogens training class is to be taken upon employment and then an annual update must be taken. The up-date is all that is necessary after the initial class has been taken and successfully passed.

Safety Shorts

Training is an integral part of laboratory safety and is crucial in fostering a culture of safety. In order to make it easier for you to provide your staff with necessary training, Occupational Health and Safety has developed Safety Shorts. Safety Shorts are designed to save you time by not having to develop training programs. They also allow training to be documented for future reference. Additionally, Safety Shorts will publish notices and announcements relevant to the UAB research community.

Safety Shorts are sent directly to your e-mail account and are published in PDF format. Safety Shorts are archived below for future reference.

Interested in Safety Shorts?
Click Here to subscribe / unsubscribe to Safety Shorts.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any questions or if you have an idea for a Safety Short.

DateTitleCategory
Date Title Category
09/25/2013 Do You Know What Kind of "Hood" You Have? General Lab Safety
07/12/2013 Hazard Communication has a new look! Announcements
06/04/2013 New Program for Controlled Substances in Research Announcements
05/10/2013 Nanoparticles or Nanomaterial General Lab Safety
04/08/2013 Use and Safe Handling of Bromodeoxyuridine in Research General Lab Safety
02/06/2013 Medical Waste Pickup Changes Announcements
01/02/2013 Space Heater Safety General Lab Safety
12/10/2012 Holiday Week Off Reminders General Lab Safety
12/03/2012 Changes in Select Agent Regulations Announcements
11/27/2012 Urgent Incubator Field Notice Announcements
11/05/2012 OHS Support Facility is Moving Announcements
10/04/2012 Shipping Hazardous Materials Announcements
10/01/2012 Satellite Accumulation Area General Lab Safety
08/07/2012 Compressed Gas Cylinders General Lab Safety
07/03/2012 Minors in a Lab General Lab Safety
04/26/2012 Medical Waste Compliance Announcements
03/06/2012 Cryogens and Dry Ice General Lab Safety
03/06/2012 Are You a Chemical Hoarder? Chemical Safety
11/15/2011 About "Tax-Free" Ethanol Use Announcements
10/19/2011 Space Heater Safety General Lab Safety
08/19/2011 LVP Price Increase Announcements
08/05/2011 Chemical Inventory Survey Chemical Safety
08/02/2011 Loss of Electrical Power General Lab Safety
04/29/2011 Safety After the Tornado Announcements
01/06/2011 Nanotechnology Announcements
10/08/2010 R.A.C.E. to Fire Safety General Lab Safety
09/28/2010 Lab Closeout Procedures Helpful Lab Information
08/05/2010 Appropriate Lab Attire General Lab Safety
07/08/2010 Shipping Hazardous Materials at UAB Announcements
04/29/2010 Handling of Reactive and Pyrophoric Materials General Lab Safety
12/23/2009 Safety Training for Lab Workers Announcements
11/23/2009 Aerosol Can Safety General Lab Safety
11/05/2009 Unclutter Your Corridors General Lab Safety
05/20/2009 Disinfectants General Lab Safety
04/17/2009 Biomedical Waste Disposal Guide Announcements
04/14/2009 Stericycle Medical Waste Manifest Announcements
03/27/2009 Regulated Medical Waste Biosafety
03/27/2009 Packaging Procedures for Medical Waste Disposal Biosafety
03/26/2009 Stericycle Contact Information Announcements
03/07/2009 Stericycle Announcement Announcements
03/06/2009 EPA Audit - Are You Ready? Announcements
03/06/2009 Aerosol Alert Announcements
01/29/2009 EPA Compliance Toolkit Announcements
12/24/2008 Ultraviolet Radiation General Lab Safety
12/09/2008 Fire Safety & Prevention General Lab Safety
10/09/2008 Emergency Procedures General Lab Safety
06/10/2008 To Glove or Not To Glove General Lab Safety
06/10/2008 Summer Duds and Lab Safety General Lab Safety
04/14/2008 Emergency Exits General Lab Safety
02/01/2008 Emergency Eyewash Testing General Lab Safety
01/01/2008 Report "chemicals of interest" Announcements
01/01/2008 Reporting Unusual Research Hazards Announcements
11/28/2007 Product Safety Notice: Tektronic Oscilloscopes Announcements
10/01/2007 Use of Open Flames in Biosafety Cabinets/Tissue Culture Hoods Biosafety
06/21/2007 Accident Investigation General Lab Safety
07/20/2007 No gloves General Lab Safety
04/01/2007 Selecting the Proper Laboratory Waste Stream General Lab Safety
01/01/2007 Use and Storage of Compressed Gas Cylinders Announcements
12/01/2006 "Tax Free" Ethyl Alcohol Usage and Accountability Chemical Safety
11/01/2006 Using your autoclave safely General Lab Safety
09/01/2006 Drain Disposal Chemical Safety
06/02/2006 Fight the Bite Announcements
06/01/2006 Summer Duds and Lab Safety General Lab Safety
03/11/2006 Risk Assessment General Lab Safety
03/10/2006 Severe Weather Preparation General Lab Safety
01/01/2006 Flu Announcements
12/01/2005 Proper Handwashing General Lab Safety
10/03/2005 Driver Focus Announcements
08/01/2005 Housekeeping and Clutter in the Lab General Lab Safety
07/01/2005 Research Lab Storm Preparation General Lab Safety
06/01/2005 General food safety tips Announcements
05/02/2005 Announcement regarding BSC certification verification Announcements
04/13/2005 Announcement regarding viral CAP proficiency test samples Announcements
03/01/2005 Mercury Spill Clean-Up Kits Chemical Safety
01/01/2005 Using Ether Safely Chemical Safety
11/01/2004 Autoclave Safety Lab Equipment Safety
07/21/2004 Stop the Prop General Lab Safety
07/14/2004 Disposal of Gels and Solutions used in Electrophoresis Procedures General Lab Safety
06/04/2004 Gloves - Primary PPE General Lab Safety
02/04/2004 Silver Recycling General Lab Safety
02/03/2004 Cover your Cough Poster Lab Equipment Safety
02/01/2004 CDC "An Ounce of Prevention" Handwashing Lab Equipment Safety
06/26/2003 Required Training for Shipping Infectious Substances and Diagnostic Specimens Announcements
06/16/2003 Changes in Hazardous Chemical Waste Management Announcements
05/20/2003 Management of Common Rooms and Shared Equipment General Lab Safety
03/25/2003 Elective Course Offering - Biological & Chemical Weapons Detectors / Response Announcements
03/19/2003 Sharps! Sharps! Everywhere are Sharps! General Lab Safety
02/14/2003 Primary Containment Devices Lab Equipment Safety
01/23/2003 Select Agent Interim Rule Announcements
01/01/2003 Select Agents and Toxins List Announcements
11/05/2002 Is there a Fungus among us? Helpful Lab Information
10/17/2002 Update: Polio Reporting Requests Announcements
09/18/2002 Update: Additions to Federal Mandatory Reporting Requirement Announcements
08/06/2002 Urgent Notice of Federal Mandatory Reporting Requirement Announcements
07/08/2002 Biological & Chemical Weapons Detectors / Response Announcements
06/04/2002 2002 ed. of the Chemical Safety and Waste Management Manual Chemical Safety
01/31/2002 Release of Equipment for Moving Lab Equipment Safety
01/07/2002 Proper Use and Care of the Biosafety Cabinet Lab Equipment Safety
11/09/2001 Research Facility Security Biosafety
11/09/2001 What is a suspicious letter or package? Helpful Lab Information
09/19/2001 Fume Hood Safety Lab Equipment Safety
08/03/2001 Announcing Online Bloodborne Pathogen Training Announcements
05/23/2001 Laboratory Self-Assessment Checklist Helpful Lab Information
05/09/2001 Laboratory Stretching Exercises Helpful Lab Information
04/30/2001 Laboratory Ergonomics Helpful Lab Information
04/09/2001 EPA Update on Hazardous Chemical Waste Disposal Chemical Safety
02/16/2001 Making Sense Out of Chemical Storage Chemical Safety
01/23/2001 Work Area Orientation Checklist for Laboratories General Lab Safety
12/11/2000 Spill Response General Lab Safety
08/29/2000 Training Record: Spills General Lab Safety
06/01/2000 Applying for a Grant Helpful Lab Information