Submitting a Biosafety Permit

trainingrequirements 

All lab members conducting hands-on work must be listed on the Biosafety Permit and must complete the Biosafety Training administered by UBC Safety & Risk Services. Principal investigators must complete the permit holders’ course. 

Training certificates are valid for five years.  Refresher training must be completed by the end of the calendar year the training expires. If refresher training is not obtained within this period, users must complete the full training course, which includes attending an in-class session.

containmentlevel

Determine the required Containment Level after the agent’s Risk Group is identified. Establishing a Containment Level minimizes risk by considering the operational requirements (e.g., training, SOPs, engineering control, personal protective equipment) and physical requirements (e.g., lab design, barriers) of the biohazard. 

A biological agent’s Risk Group is not the sole determinant for establishing a Containment Level.  The risk group system does not account for the procedures employed during the manipulation of a particular organism or the host factors. Depending on host and environmental factors, the containment level may be higher or lower than the agent’s risk group. 

The PHAC Canadian Biosafety Guidelines (Local Risk Assessment) establishes four Containment Levels: 

Containment Level 1 (CL1) agents require no special design features beyond those suitable for a well-designed and functional laboratory. 

Containment Level 2 (CL2) agents are primarily transmitted through the ingestion, inoculation and mucous membrane routes, but are not typically airborne. 

Containment Level 3 (CL3) agents may be transmitted by an airborne route, often have a low infectious dose to produce effects and can cause serious or life-threatening disease. CL3 facilities require primary and secondary barriers to minimize the release of infectious organisms. 

Containment Level 4 (CL4) agents have potential for aerosol transmission, often have a low infectious dose and produce very serious and often fatal disease with no available treatment or vaccine. CL4 facilities are functionally isolated and, when necessary, structurally independent of other facilities. UBC does not have a CL4 facility. 

biosecurityplan

A biosecurity plan is implemented to prevent theft, misuse or intentional release of pathogens. The type of biosecurity plan that is created and implemented will depend on the nature of the facility, the type of research and diagnostics conducted and the local environment. Personnel from varying levels of administration can be involved in the creation of the biosecurity plan. Key features of a biosecurity plan should include facility security, biological materials inventory and emergency protocols for security incidents. 

Recommendations for CL1 and CL2 pathogens

A pathogen is defined as an agent that can cause disease in humans or animals. When working with pathogens, labs should have an inventory of all vials, plates and tubes that are being stored. Working solutions of the agents that are currently being used for on-going experiments do not need to be inventoried. Access to the pathogens must be restricted to specific laboratory personnel and a tracking system must be established to determine if vials are unaccounted for. Personnel who do have access to the pathogens must be documented and kept on file. 

General biosecurity requirements for CL1 and CL2 work