BIOLOGICAL SAFETY MANUAL

The University of Pennsylvania's Biological Safety Manual is undergoing continuous construction and modification. Please send suggestions for improvements to: webmaster@ehrs.upenn.edu.

The Biosafety Manual is available in two formatted pdfs: [entire document, pdf 342K]


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Accident / Emergency Procedures

Introduction | [PDF]

I. Program Administration | [PDF]

• A The Office of the Vice Provost for Research
• B The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
• C The Office of Environmental Health & Radiation Safety (EHRS)
• D Deans / Department Chairs
• E Principal Investigators (PIs)
• F Employees

II. Biohazards & Potentially Infectious Material | [PDF]

• A Definition
• B Biological Agent Classification
  1. Risk Assessment
  2. Risk Groups
• C Categories of Biohazards or Potentially Infectious Materials
• D Recombinant DNA (rDNA)
  1. Generation of rDNA
  2. Human Gene Transfer
  3. Human Recombinant Vaccine Trials
  4. Transgenic Animals
  5. Transgenic Plants
• E Other Potentially Hazardous Biological Materials
  1. Human blood, blood products, body fluids and tissues
  2. Use of Animals
  3. Tissue Culture / Cell Lines
  4. Use of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Research
  5. Use of Vaccinia Virus
• F Clinical Laboratories
• G Select Agents

III. Principles of Biosafety | [PDF]

• A Containment
• B Biosafety Levels
• C Vertebrate Animal Biosafety Levels

IV. Practices and Procedures | [PDF]

• A Administrative Controls
  1. Biohazard Warning Signs and Posting
  2. Biosafety Levels
  3. Vertebrate Animal Biosafety Levels
  4. Medical Surveillance
• B Engineering Controls
  1. Biological Safety Cabinets
  2. Safety Equipment

• C Recommended Work Practices
  1. Pipettes and Pipetting Aids
  2. Syringes and Needles
  3. Safe and Effective Use of Biological Safety Cabinets
  4. Cryostats
  5. Centrifuge Equipment
  6. Personal Protective Equipment
  7. Aerosol Producing Devices
  8. Loop Sterilizers and Bunsen Burners
  9. Laundry
  10. Housekeeping
  11. Biohazard Spill Cleanup Procedures
• D Decontamination
• E Infectious Waste Management
  1. Categorie of Infectious Waste
  2. Handling
  3. Mixed Waste
  4. Storage
  5. Monitoring Treatment of Infectious Waste
  6. Animals
• F Transport of Biological Materials
  1. Intramural Transport
  2. Extramural Transport and Permitting
• G Permits
• References

Table 1: Biosafety Levels

Table 2: Vertebrate Animal Biosafety Levels

Table 3: Properties of Common Disenfectants

Appendix 1 : Bacteria [A-K] | [PDF]

Appendix 2 : Bacteria [L-Z] | [PDF]

Appendix 3 : Fungi | [PDF]

Appendix 4 : Viruses [A-K]  | [PDF]

Appendix 5 : Viruses [L-Z] | [PDF]

Appendix 6 : Parasites | [PDF]