Biological Safety

UPCOMING EVENTS: 

The Biosafety module of SciShield, OSU’s new online research administration system, is being implemented during Fall 2025. This system provides a comprehensive approach to managing biosafety, regulatory compliance, and internal processes related to biological materials used in laboratories and teaching courses.

We are currently in a soft rollout phase (October–December 2025). During this time, researchers may continue using the existing Word document forms or begin registering their Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) projects and amendments through SciShield.

Starting January 2026, all IBC protocols and amendments must be submitted through SciShield, and the use of Word document forms will be phased out.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Biological Safety is responsible for providing guidance on practices to minimize health and environmental hazards related to biological agents used in research and teaching within the university community. Programs implementing university policy and recognized best practices have been established to protect the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff; to protect managed and natural ecosystems; and to meet regulatory requirements of Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the National Institutes of Health.

The Oregon State University Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is dedicated to ensuring the safe and compliant use of biological hazards in research and teaching. With full authority to impose containment requirements and procedural safeguards, the IBC meticulously reviews all biohazardous work conducted by OSU personnel or within OSU facilities. The committee’s oversight extends to auditing programs and inspecting facilities, guaranteeing that biological hazards are managed responsibly. For more information on the IBC, activities that require oversight, or access to submission forms, please visit the IBC Home Page

Get my Autoclave tested? - Autoclave testing

Know what activities require oversight? - Biological Activities Requiring Oversight

Log a Sharps injury? - Sharps Injury Log

Document Hepatitis B Vaccine Status? - Hep B Vaccine Status Form

Animal Handler Safety Training

Individuals who will work with animals or have significant contact with animals must complete required training before beginning animal work. This includes hazard awareness topics such as zoonotic diseases, animal allergies, physical injuries, sharps safety, and research-related hazards. Training also covers methods to minimize personal risk and the importance of medical monitoring. Animal Exposure Safety Awareness Training is delivered through the CITI Program as part of OSU’s IACUC requirements. Please visit the IACUC Participant Requirements page for details on required modules and enrollment steps: https://research.oregonstate.edu/ori/iacuc/participant-requirements 

Animal Source Materials Training

For individuals not covered by IACUC/Animal Program Office but who work with high-risk animal-derived materials (e.g., wild-caught rodents, bats, and other wildlife with zoonotic potential; fresh or untreated tissues/fluids with credible risk; field sampling of free-ranging wildlife; & necropsy or procedures likely to generate splashes or aerosols on high-risk species), training is required to address biosafety and bloodborne pathogen risks. This content is included in OSU’s Laboratory Biosafety and Bloodborne Pathogen Training, available through EHS and assigned via SciShield.

Lab Biosafety and Bloodborne Pathogen Training is required for personnel work with blood, body fluids, unfixed tissues or cell lines of human origin and for all personnel who work with Risk Group 2 pathogens. The session combines the requirements for Bloodborne Pathogen training with an overview of best practices for working in a biological laboratory at BSL-2. Topics covered include hazard recognition, methods of minimizing risks to personnel, safe work practices, infectious waste and sharps management and what to do in the event of an exposure. Sessions are 60 minutes and offered via zoom.  Please visit SciShield to sign up for an upcoming session.

Training for Researchers using Recombinant DNA is required for personnel who work with recombinant DNA.  This training covers the essential requirements for conducting recombinant DNA research detailed in the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules.  The training is an online module that is reviewed.  Training is documented when participants complete the accompanying Acknowledgement Form. The training can be accessed from the main IBC web page.

To access the CITI Biosafety content, use the ORI webpage and select the link for CITI LOGIN. For instruction for how to create an account and add content, see the CITI Guide to Getting Started