Biological PI Responsibilties

All Principal Investigators must adhere to the responsibilities outlined in the University Lab Safety Manual. Find the complete list here. With regard to biosafety, Principal Investigators (PI) shall:

• Assess the risks of their experiments and consult with EHS as needed.
• Ensure the safe and secure operation of their laboratory.
• Coordinate the annual service and certification of biosafety cabinets (BSCs).
• Provide documented in-lab training  and proficiency testing to laboratory personnel in regard to safe work practices 1) before work begins, 2) when procedures change or are new procedures/equipment are introduced, and 3) annually refresh such training and evaluation thereafter.
• Complete the applicable EHS safety training(s) at the required frequency and ensure all laboratory personnel complete and renew their safety training(s).
• Properly manage (segregate, contain, and dispose) research-generated biological wastes.
• Comply with the University Lab Safety Manual and all applicable TTU OPs relating to safety and health.
• Comply with all applicable university, local, state, and federal regulations and guidelines.
• Register experiments with the IBC (and other applicable committees) when work involves:
  • Recombinant and/or synthetic nucleic acid activities; and/or
  • Materials potentially infectious to humans, plants or other animals; and/or
  • arthropods that serve as vectors of disease to human, plants, or other animals; and/or
  • The use of potentially infectious human and/or non-human primate materials (e.g., unfixed tissues, cell lines, and body fluids/excretions/secretions); and/or
  • The use of animal cell lines that pose a danger to humans and/or those immortalized by means that render them dangerous to humans; and/or
  • Any Select Agent as listed in 7 CFR 331, 9 CFR 121, and 42 CFR 73.
• Adhere to the conditions stipulated on approved IBC protocols.
• Write and implement a laboratory-specific biosafety manual (WASP, bioWASP).  The manual is available, accessible, periodically reviewed and updated as necessary, and at minimum addresses the following:
  • Contains sufficient information to describe the biosafety and containment procedures for the biological materials in use, appropriate agent-specific decontamination methods, and the work performed. 
  • Contains or references protocols for emergency situations, including exposures, medical emergencies, facility malfunctions, and other potential emergencies.
• Notify EHS of all shipments of biological materials (including plasmids and nucleic acids), and submit a materials shipping form and a copy of all shipping documents to EHS before the shipment departs.
• Notify custodial services that their laboratory is a BSL2/PLC2/ACL2 space (if applicable).
  • Custodial services is aware of containment level 2-areas when a red dot affixed on the door sign.