It is important to have a plan of action before an emergency occurs.

In the event of a biological spill, only properly trained personnel should attempt cleanup, and then only if the appropriate tools, PPE, and disinfectants are available. If in doubt, or if the spill is unmanageable, call Service Operations (SOS) at 802-656-2560 to have Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) staff paged.  Know the risks and proceed with the appropriate response. This can save you valuable time during an emergency situation.

For a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

It is important to have a plan of action in the event of an emergency. Knowing the risks and the appropriate response can save you valuable time during an emergency situation. Purchase biological spill kit materials so they are available in your laboratory. Biological spill cleanup materials are not provided by EHS. A biological spill kit should contain the following:

• Disposable gown
• 4 mil Nitrile gloves, at a minimum
• Disposable face shield
• Shoe covers/booties
• Spill pads or other absorbent material
• The appropriate disinfectant for agents used in the lab. Read the Pathogen Safety Data Sheet.
• Tongs, forceps and/or small broom and dustpan to pick up broken glass (sharps)
• Sharps container
• Red Biohazard bags

Not all spills of biological materials present the same risks to personnel and/or to the environment. The volume of the spill is not necessarily the most important factor. In addition, the following should be taken into account:

• Location of spill
• Nature of the affected surface(s)
• Infectivity or toxicity of the material spilled
• Degree of aerosolization resulting from the spill
• Complicating materials (broken glass, chemicals, clothing)
• Ability to sufficiently and effectively disinfect the area

In any spill scenario, the safety of personnel is the most important consideration!
 

Primary containers that have lids are acceptable for moving biological materials within your own lab. Ideally, the container should not break or open if accidentally dropped.

Moving biological samples or materials outside of your lab requires secondary containment. The primary containers should be placed inside of a secondary container with a lid (a tupperware-type container may work well). The secondary container should be sturdy enough that it will not break, open, or leak if accidentally dropped. The container should be made of a material that is easy to decontaminate.

Secondary containers must be decontaminated before being removed from the laboratory.

Moving biological samples or materials to a different floor or building also requires tertiary containment. The secondary container (as described above) should be enclosed in a tertiary container that will not break, open, or leak if accidentally dropped. (An igloo-type cooler may work well). The container should be made of a material that is easy to decontaminate.

Tertiary containers must be decontaminated before being removed from the laboratory.

PPE should never be worn to transport samples or materials outside of your lab. Decontaminate the outside of your containers before you leave the lab.

Bring new PPE with you to put on once you arrive at your destination.

Safety Manual and Standard Operating Procedures

UVM's Biosafety Level 3 and Animal Biosafety Level 3 facilities

January 2022

1.1 Principal Investigator

1.2 Research Personnel 

1.3. UVM Biosafety Office

1.4 UVM Biological Safety Committee (IBC)

1.5 UVM College of Medicine and Vermont Department of Health (VDH)

1.6 Office of Animal Care Management (OACM)

2.1 MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE 

2.1 Medical Surveillance

2.2 Immunizations

2.3 Medical Restrictions

2.4 Post-exposure Evaluation and Follow-up

3.1 Entry/Exit Procedures

3.2 PPE Donning/Doffing Procedures 

3.3 Work Practices

3.4 General A/BSL-2 Laboratory Practices and Procedures

3.5 [vacated]

3.6 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

3.7 Haandwashing

3.8 Procedures for Centrifugation 

3.9 Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC) Protocol

3.10 Waste Handling and Disposal Procedures

3.11  Equipment Repairs, Service, or Disposal

3.12 Semi-Annual Shutdowns

3.13 Procedure for Laundering Laboratory Clothing (Scrubs)

3.14 Transport of Potentially Infectious Materials Between A/BSL-3 Labs 

3.15 Transport of Inactivated Materials to A/BSL-2 Labs

3.16 Inactivation of Biological Samples

GENERAL

4.1 Spills in BSC

4.2 Spills in the Laboratory 

4.3 Composition of A/BSL-3 Spill Kit 

4.4 Spills in Incubator

4.5 Spills in Centrifuge

4.6 Chemical Spill Procedures

4.7 Decontamination of an A/BSL-3 Spill

5.1 Emergency Procedures for Exposure Incidents

5.2  Emergency Procedures for Person Down/Medical Emergency (no spills involved)

5.3  Emergency Procedures for Medical Emergency Involving a Biological Spill

5.4 After Hours Emergencies

5.5 Procedures for Fire Alarm, HVAC Failure, BSC Failure, or Power Loss

6.1 Vaccination Requirements

6.2 Procedures for Entering A/BSL-3 Facility

6.3 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

6.4 Responsibilities of the A/BSL-3 Facility Users

6.5 Responsibilities of Biosafety Staff

6.6 Responsibilities of Maintenance Personnel and Visitors

7.1 Registration of Biological Materials 

7.2 Registration of Recombinant DNA 

7.3 Requrements for BSL-3 Experimentation in Animals 

7.4 Risk Assessment

8.1 A/BSL-3 Autoclave Use

8.2 Autoclave Validation

9.1 A/BSL-3 Personnel Training Requirements

9.2 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Agreement for PI 

9.3 A/BSL-3 Users Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Agreement 

10.1 A/BSL-3 Personnel Training Record

10.2 Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Template for A/BSL-3 Research Laboratories 

10.3 A/BSL-3 Visitor Clearance Form

10.4 Researcher Experience Form

11.1  A/BSL-3 Laboratory Inspection Checklist

11.2 A/BSL-3 Facility Checklist

11.3 Checklilst for Maintenance Work in BSL-3 Facilities

11.4 A/BSL-3 Observation Checklist 

11.5 Semi-Annual A/BSL-3 Shutdown Checklist

12.1 CDC/NIH Labortory Biosafety Level Criteria - Biosafety Level 3 

12.2 CDC/NIH Vertebrate Animal Biosafety Level Criteria - Animal Biosafety Level 3  

12.3 Classification of Human Etiologic Agents

Risk Assessments are conducted on a case-by-case basis due to the large variety of labs, equipment, and research being conducted at the University. Many factors are taken into account during a risk assessment, some of which are independent of each other, and some of which rely heavily on other factors:

Amount and Concentration of Agent

• Based on the infectious dose and ability of the agent to cause disease

Route of Exposure

• Which routes of exposure are possible? 
• What can be done to reduce or eliminate these risks?

Diagram below shows exposure pathways of hazardous substance through inhalation, ingestion and dermal exposure (example hand exposure).

Pathogenicity and Virulence

• How easily can the agent cause disease?
• How serious is the associated illness?

Associated Disease

• What are the possible outcomes of an exposure to the agent?
• Are there vaccines or post-exposure treatments available for the disease or illness?

Infectious Dose

• How much of this agent does it take to make someone sick? (For example: the infectious dose for Salmonella is about 100,000 organisms, while the infectious dose for Cryptosporidium is 1 - 10 oocysts)

How The Agent Will Be Used

• Is aerosol production possible?
• Will a biosafety cabinet be used?
• Will this agent be used in an animal model?
• Will sharps be used?

PPE

• Is the PPE used in the lab appropriate for this work?
• Is contaminated PPE managed in a safe manner?

Experience Level of Researcher(s)

• Do lab personnel have prior experience with this agent or this type of work?
• Have lab personnel had the proper training for this work?
• Is there a Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) in place?
• Are lab personnel proficient and comfortable with the procedures to be performed?
   

There are four biosafety levels and four risk groups, as defined in the BMBL. Biosafety levels describe the practices, equipment, and facilities used for work with biological agents. Risk groups describe the potential effect of the biological agent on human health. The biosafety level generally corresponds to the risk group, but not always. Biosafety level is dependent on a risk assessment by safety staff. The biosafety level or laboratory practices maybe elevated if there is an increased risk of exposure. Each biosafety level builds upon the previous one.

Questions? Contact safety@uvm.edu for assistance.

Risk Group 1

Agents that are not associated with disease in healthy adult humans (E. coli K12)

Risk Group 2

Agents that are associated with human disease which is rarely serious and for which preventive or therapeutic interventions are often available (Salmonella)

Risk Group 3

Agents that are associated with serious or lethal human disease for which preventive or therapeutic interventions may be available (high individual risk but low community risk) (Hantavirus)

Risk Group 4

Agents that are likely to cause serious or lethal human disease for which preventive or therapeutic interventions are not usually available (high individual risk and high community risk) (Ebola)

BSL-1

• Standard microbiological practices
• Hand-washing sink available
• Use of lab coats and gloves
• Eye/face protection as needed

BSL-2

BSL-1, plus:

• Limit access to laboratory, keep doors closed
• Biohazard sign posted on entrance
• Wash hands before leaving
• Sharps use minimized, precautions in place
• Lab safety notebook maintained and available
• Eye/face protection recommended
• Biosafety cabinets used for aerosol-generating procedures

BSL-3

BSL-2, plus:

• Controlled access
• Decontamination of all waste
• Decontamination of lab clothing before regular laundering
• Baseline serum sample drawn
• Biosafety cabinets used for all procedures with biological agent
• Eye/face and respiratory protection
• Physical separation from main corridor (anteroom)
• Self-closing interlocked doors
• Negative airflow to laboratory
• Exhaust air not recirculated

BSL-4 (Note: There are no BSL-4 labs at UVM)

BSL-3, plus:

• Clothing change before entering
• Shower out
• Dedicated supply/exhaust, vacuum, and decontamination systems
• Separate building or isolated zone
• Biosafety cabinets used for all procedures in combination with full-body, positive-pressure suit
• Other requirements as outlined in the BMBL

Please see our Animal Biosafety page for a description of animal biosafety levels.