Department of Biosafety - Roles & Responsibilities

Service Provided

Coordinates Activity/Researcher Point of Contact

Responsible to Perform

Comment

Audits

Laboratory Safety Audits

DOB

DOB/EHS

Biosafety  will schedule & coordinate with EHS to perform a joint  audit.

Select Agent & High Containment Audits

DOB

DOB

 

Biological Material Accountability, including Select Agents

DOB

DOB

 

Animal and Arthropod Facility Audits

DOB

DOB

 

Radiation Safety Audits (RAM, Laser, X-Ray)

EHS

EHS

 

Comprehensive Fire & Life Safety Building Inspections

EHS

EHS

 

Satellite Accumulation Area Waste Audits

EHS

EHS

 

Training

Biosafety Level 1-4

DOB

DOB

 

Animal Biosafety Levels 2-4

DOB

DOB

 

Graduate School & Postdoctoral General Laboratory & Biological Safety Courses

DOB

DOB/EHS

EHS may provide training in topics related to chemical safety, hazard communication, radiation safety.

Biological Shipping

DOB

DOB

 

Chemical/Radiological Shipping

EHS

EHS

If biological substance is involved in shipment, DOB will take lead and coordinate with EHS to ensure compliance.

PPE & PAPR - Biological, Research & Healthcare

DOB

DOB

DOB will provide PPE and PAPR comprehensive training courses based on risk to any customer requesting it regardless of hazard, but chemical and radiological PAPR use will be referred to EHS.

PPE & PAPR - Chemical/Radiological/Other

EHS

EHS

EHS will provide PAPR training to any customer requesting it regardless of hazard, but research PAPR use will be referred to DOB.

Specialized training relevant to: Biocontainment, Select Agents, Infection Control & Prevention, Biocontainment Critical Care Treatment Centers, Emergency Responders

DOB

DOB

 

Hazard Communication

EHS

EHS

 

Basic Radiation Safety in the Laboratory

EHS

EHS

 

X-Ray Safety Training

EHS

EHS

 

Laser Safety Training

EHS

EHS

 

Chemical Safety Training

EHS

EHS

 

Fire & Life Safety Training: Evacuation, fire extinguisher

EHS

EHS

 

Specialized training relevant to: chemical use, radiological safety, general laboratory safety

EHS

EHS

 

Support Services

Autoclave Testing & Validation- Regulated Laboratories

DOB

DOB

 

Consultation Services: Biological, Infectious, Select Agent, Infection Control & Prevention, Biocontainment Facility Design & Commissioning, Biocontainment Critical Care Treatment Centers, Biological/Biocontainment Programmatic Design

DOB

DOB

 

Consultation Services: Chemical, Radiological, and General Laboratory Safety Issues

EHS

EHS

 

Public AED Monthly Inspections

EHS

EHS

 

Chemical Fume Hood Certifications

EHS

EHS

 

Biological Safety Cabinet Certifications

DOB

DOB

 

Eyewash & Safety Shower Testing

EHS

EHS

 

Eyewash & Safety Shower Risk Assessments

EHS

EHS

Provides determination as to whether or not a safety shower or eyewash is required to be present in the lab.

Laboratory Facility Design

EHS/DOB

EHS/DOB

Includes radiation shielding design if required. Includes commissioning of fire safety systems (dampers, alarm, sprinkler, etc.), basic architectural life safety compliant design, compliance with NFPA 45, NFPA 30 and 101, etc.  QA/QC inspections during construction and Certificate of Occupancy.  Includes biological safety design to be in compliance with the BMBL, state and federal regulatory agencies.

Laboratory Moves/Decommissioning

EHS

EHS/DOB

Biosafety notified and involved to ensure biosafety compliance with moves and decommissioning.  This does not include high and maximum Containment laboratories/Facilities

Laboratory Door Signs

DOB

DOB

 

Fire Extinguisher Inspections

EHS

EHS

 

Fire Drills, Fire Evacuation Procedures

EHS

EHS

 

Hazardous Waste (Chemical), Radiological Waste pickups

EHS

EHS

 

Waste Management Oversight (chem, rad, bio)

EHS

EHS

 

Industrial Hygiene Monitoring

EHS

EHS

Performs monitoring to measure worker exposure to health hazards such as biological, chemical, and physical hazards (noise, vibration, etc.).

Medical & Pregnancy Consultations - Biological

DOB

DOB

 

Medical & Pregnancy Consultations - Chem/Radiation

EHS

EHS

Pregnancy consultations performed with women voluntarily declaring pregnancy due to radiation use; also, for those staff working with chemicals identified as a reproductive hazard/teratogen.

Emergency Weather Information Distribution & Collection for Research

DOB

DOB

DOB is responsible for maintenance and collection of the Emergency Weather Information online form. EHS involved in development of Emergency Weather preparedness information for Research.

Indoor Air Quality Investigations/Odor Complaints

EHS

EHS

 

Radioactive material contamination wipe tests of labs

EHS

EHS

Required monthly for all labs using or storing radioactive material.

Research Employee vaccinations & medical surveillance

DOB

DOB

 

Meter Calibrations (Radiation, Oxygen)

EHS

EHS

Radiation survey meters calibrated every 10 months; non-radiation meters calibrated annually.

Radiation Dosimeters (Badges) and area surveys

EHS

EHS

Provides radiation badges to staff working with radioactive material and x-ray producing devices; periodic area surveys to ensure general public dose limits being met.

Radioactive Package Approval/Processing

EHS

EHS

 

Emergency Response: Spills, releases, fire alarms, incident investigation

EHS

EHS

EHS provides emergency response services for any incidents involving hazardous materials (chem, rad, etc.) 

Biological Emergency Response:  Spills, releases, incident investigation

DOB

DOB

DOB will take the lead on all high and maximum containment incidents

Fire Alarm & Fire Suppression System Design, Inspection and repair

EHS

EHS

 

Fire systems deactivation management

EHS

EHS

 

Safe work permitting (Hot Work, Confined Space, Above-ceiling, etc.)

EHS

EHS

 

New PI Orientation

DOB

DOB/EHS

DOB manages this program and provides the orientation; EHS provides information developed in collaboration with DOB.

HEPA Filter Certifications (including biosafety cabinets)

DOB

DOB

 

Respirator fit testing/training

EHS

EHS

Fit testing of N95, full-face, half-face, and HALO PAPRs (fit testing only)

Committee Administration & Support

Institutional Biosafety Committee

DOB

DOB

Provides administrative support for the committee to ensure compliance with the NIH Guidelines and other regulatory agencies.

Institutional Radiation Safety Committee

EHS

EHS

Oversees use of radioactive material, x-rays, and lasers.

Institutional Chemical Safety Committee

EHS

EHS

Oversees use of hazardous chemicals, including High-Risk Hazardous Chemicals.

General Safety Committee

EHS

EHS/DOB

Institutional committee addressing all areas of safety; other institutional EHS committees provide reports

Magnetic Resonance Safety Committee

EHS

EHS

Oversees use of high-powered magnets (NMR, MRI).

Committee Membership/Support: IACUC, Infection Control & Biosafety Taskforce, Biological Exposure Committee, Community Liasion Committee, Responsible Offical Advisory Committee, Biocontainment Critical Care Unit Steering Committee

DOB

DOB

 

Committee Membership/Support: Research Support Steering Committee/Clinical Laboratory Safety Committee

EHS/DOB

EHS/DOB

Both EHS & DOB sit on this committee.

Hazardous Materials Authorizations/Permits/Applications

Notifications of Use for Biological Materials

DOB

DOB

Includes Human and Non-human Primate Products, Infectious agents, Recombinant and Synthetic Nucleic Acids, Risk Group 3 & 4 agents, and Select Agents

High-Risk Hazardous Chemical Safety Plans

EHS

EHS

For use of High-Risk Hazardous Chemicals

Radioactive Material Use Permit

EHS

EHS

For use of radioactive materials

X-Ray Use Permit

EHS

EHS

For use of x-ray producing devices

Laser Use Permit (Class 3B and Class 4 Only)

EHS

EHS

For use of Class 3B or Class 4 lasers

Regulatory Agency Interface/Inspections

CDC, USDA, NIH, DOD, NIH-OSP:  Federal Select Agent Program, Regulated Biological Research,

DOB

DOB

 

TX DSHS, NRC, FDA (RDRC): Institutional Radioactive Material, X-Ray, and Laser Registration/Licenses

EHS

EHS

RDRC: Radioactive Drug Research Committee

AAALAC: Oversight of safety related to animal use

DOB

DOB/EHS

EHS provides support during AAALAC inspections related to items not biological in nature.

DOT/FAA: Transportation of dangerous goods in compliance with hazardous materials regulations

DOB

DOB/EHS

Biological shipments of infectious agents receive oversight and shipping assistance from DOB.  Any shipment involving chemical or radioactive material overseen by EHS. 

DHS: Homeland Security Chemicals & Biological Materials of Interest

EHS/DOB

EHS/DOB

 

Texas Department of Insurance: Compliance with Texas State Fire Marshal fire & life safety requirements

EHS

EHS

EHS serves as the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) for UTMB, under the oversight of Texas State Fire Marshal Office. 

TCEQ/EPA: All environmentally related regulatory inspections across all campuses.

EHS

EHS