Biosafety is the application of preventive methods to reduce the risk of exposure to biological agents or biohazards, which can affect the health of laboratory personnel, the community and the environment.

Biosafety at UMass Lowell

Biosafety can be achieved by risk assessment, best work practices, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), containment, and training.

UMass Lowell and the Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) are committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors by developing biosafety programs and providing training to all members of the UMass Lowell community.

At the present there is Biosafety Level 1 and 2 research on campus.

At UMass Lowell, all researchers using biological agents are required to be registered with the Institutional Biosafety Committee. Read more:


Life Safety and Emergency Management / EHS Biosafety Office (BSO)

The Biosafety Officer, as part of the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) team, provides technical support to faculty and staff, assists faculty when arriving and leaving UMass Lowell during commissioning/decommissioning of biological labs, and aids with the application process for registering work with the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC).


Biological Safety Training

In compliance with the OSHA Standard, all employees who are considered at risk of occupational exposure to BBP should be identified, receive training, adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and be offered the Hepatitis B vaccination at no cost to themselves. Biosafety training is required for all individuals working with biological materials at UMass Lowell.

Initial BloodBorne Pathogens (BBP)/ BioSafety Online training:

Below is a list of the items needed to complete you Biosafety training online.

  1. Complete the identification of risk form: Determination of Occupational Exposure to BBP.
    • If one responds "YES" to any of the questions, the user is at risk of BBP and must complete the following steps.
    • If all "NO" answers, then please email this form to BioSafety@uml.edu.
  2. Complete the Hepatitis B Vaccination / Declination Form. Please email both forms (step 1 and 2) to: BioSafety@uml.edu
  3. Training Module and Quiz: Take the online training (internet access is required). Please note, the quiz will be sent to the users email as well as BioSafety@uml.edu. Please print up the quiz results and retain in the labs Chemical Hygiene plan.
  4. Training Registration: register your training in our online training database. BBP / Biosafety Training is valid for one year and workers at risk must attend training annually. The database will email your UMass Lowell email when refresher training is due. Failure to retake the Quiz will result in revocation of Biolab access. (Choose Bloodborne Pathogens/Biosafety Training as the certification type).
  5. The BioSafety Office will review your registration, may ask questions of you or the PI, or may request a meeting with you or the PI. When satisfied that you maintain the proper safety training and understanding, they will approve your training in the database thus a certificate will be mailed to you, Please print up the certificate and retain in the labs Chemical Hygiene plan.
  6. Site Specific Training: One must demonstrate, through a site specific training with the Principal Investigator or Lab Supervisor ones ability to work safely with biologicals and equipment

Refresher BloodBorne Pathogens (BBP)/ BioSafety Online training:training: Annually a training must be completed. One can retake the training in step 3, or they could take the BioSafety CITI training and email proof of completion to: BioSafety@uml.edu

In-person training classes in BBP / Biosafety are offered. View the BBP / Biosafety training schedule. The training class lasts one hour and fifteen minutes. No pre-registration is required.

Specialized Equipment in Biological Labs: The ability to work safely with such equipment should be demonstrated to the principal investigator or lab manager in charge of the work. They will have equipment specific training they will provide to you.

Biosafety Forms


Biosafety - Guide and SOPs

Biosafety Guide


Biosafety Specific SOPs

Contact

If you have any questions related to the BBP program or Biosafety, please contact the Biosafety Officer at the EHS office at 978-934-2632 or by email: Biosafety@uml.edu.