Version: 11/2011
Georgia Regents
University
Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) – Laboratory Assistance Visit Checklist
A procedure-based approach comprising the practices, personal protective equipment, facilities and implementation of
your laboratory’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) must be taken when evaluating safety and compliance. This
checklist is recommended for use as a tool for self-assessment and is used to review of your laboratory safety by the
Biosafety Office as required by the Institutional Biosafety Committee.
Principle Investigator/Representative:
Date:
Assistance Visit Performed by:
Location(s):
All standards described below are based on those from the following publications:
 GHSU Institutional Biosafety Guide (BSG)
http://www.georgiahealth.edu/services/ehs/biosafe/PDFs/bioguidejun08.pdf

CDC/NIH Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) 5th edition:

NIH Guidelines for Research Involving with Recombinant DNA Molecules:

OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) Standards
http://www.cdc.gov/od/ohs/biosfty/bmbl5/bmbl5toc.htm
http://oba.od.nih.gov/rdna/nih_guidelines_oba.html
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10051
A. Work Practices
(Standard Microbiological Practices)
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Is access to the laboratory limited to laboratory staff when
experiments/work with biological materials or recombinant
DNA are in progress?
Does laboratory staff wash hands after handling viable
materials, after removing gloves, and before leaving
laboratory?
 Are supplies/materials available in each laboratory
area to facilitate this operation (soap, paper towels,
and clear sinks)?
 Are gloves disposed of immediately prior to washing
hands?
Are eating, drinking, smoking, handling contact lenses, or
applying cosmetics, forbidden in the laboratory?
 Is disposal of food/drink wrappers and containers
forbidden in the laboratory?
 Are utensils (cups, plates, forks, etc.) used in
consuming food forbidden in the laboratory?
Is food for human use stored outside of the laboratory work
area in refrigerators designated for this purpose only?
Is a floor-to-ceiling/wall-to-wall barrier between laboratory
areas and non-laboratory areas (offices, hallways, etc.) in
which food is stored/consumed?
Are only mechanical pipetting devices used (e.g., is mouth
pipetting forbidden)?
Are sharps safety devices employed whenever possible to
avoid sharps injuries?
 Have sharps safety device options been considered
and documented?
Are sharps NOT bent, sheared, broken, recapped,
removed from disposable syringes, or manipulated by
hand?
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Are sharps placed in red (approved) sharps containers?
Are sharps containers placed near the areas where sharps
are used to facilitate immediate disposal?
Are sharps (razors, needles, scalpels) NOT left
unprotected and/or exposed on bench tops or shelves;
which would permit inadvertent sharps injury?
 Non-disposable sharps must be placed in a hardwalled container for storage and transport.
Are sharps containers disposed of periodically and not
allowed to overfill?
 Containers should be closed upon reaching the fill
line (approximately 2/3 full) and disposed of
immediately or at least every six months, as per
GHSU procedures.
Are all biologically contaminated solid wastes
decontaminated as per the laboratory’s IBC-approved
SOPs and disposed of as biomedical waste?
 Are appropriate disinfectants easily available within
the laboratory?
 Are disinfectants prepared and used according to
IBC-approved SOPs or manufacturer’s standards?
 Are sufficient supplies and equipment available to
accomplish this disinfection?
 Are biohazard boxes easily available within the
laboratory?
 Are biohazard boxes disposed of promptly and not
allowed to overfill?
 Is laboratory staff familiar with the solid waste
disposal procedures documented in your SOPs?
Are all biologically contaminated liquids/fluids
decontaminated and disposed as indicated in the
laboratory’s IBC-approved SOPs?
 Are appropriate disinfectants easily available within
the laboratory?
 Are there appropriate collection containers for safe
collection of liquid wastes with secondary
containment?
 Are the liquid wastes decontaminated and disposed
on a regular basis (e.g., not allowed to sit for lengthy
periods and not allowed to fill the container over ½
full)?
 Are laboratory staff familiar with the liquid waste
disposal procedures documented in your SOPs?
Are vacuum lines protected by in-line HEPA filters? Are
aspirator traps set up correctly (in secondary containment
and not permitting waste to build up into the neck of the
flask)?
Are work surfaces decontaminated with disinfectants that
are effective against the agents of concern at the
completion of work or at the end of the day and after any
spill or splash of viable material?
 Are appropriate disinfectants easily available within
the laboratory?
 Are sufficient supplies and equipment available to
accomplish this disinfection?
 Are disinfectants prepared and used according to
IBC-approved SOPs or manufacturer’s standards?
 Are protective coverings (plastic wrap, aluminum foil,
imperviously-backed absorbent paper) removed or
replaced when contaminated and/or at the end of the
work shift?
 Is laboratory staff familiar with the work surface
decontamination procedures documented in your
SOPs?
Is equipment decontaminated with disinfectants that are
effective against the agents of concern on a regular basis,
before being removed from the laboratory, before
repair/contact of unauthorized personnel and after
spills/splashes?
 Is laboratory staff familiar with the equipment
decontamination procedures documented in your
SOPs?
 Is equipment in which biological materials are stored
labeled with a biohazard sticker (e.g., freezer,
refrigerators, cryotanks, etc.)?
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Are all animal carcasses disposed in the animal carcass
freezers designated by LAS facilities and NOT in any
biohazard waste container?
 If research involves animals requiring ABSL-2
containment, are the carcasses disposed within the
ABSL-2 facility?
 If any hazardous drugs, chemicals, chemotherapeutic
agents or radiological materials have been introduced
into the animals, are the carcasses appropriately
segregated and disposed of according to the
laboratory’s IBC-approved SOPs?
If the laboratory procedures involve the transport of
animals, are the animals transported using filter-top cages,
with the top secured by positive means (e.g, rubber band,
tape), and the caged draped (e.g.,if transporting multiple
cages, are cages placed on the lower shelf of a cart)?
If produced, are the mixed wastes (biological + chemical
and/or biological + radiological) appropriately
decontaminated for biological agents before being
disposed as per the laboratory’s IBC-approved SOPs
through the Chemical Safety or Radiation Safety Offices?
If the laboratory procedures involve intramural transport of
biological materials outside of the laboratory, does the
laboratory have the appropriate containment device(s)
available (e.g., a sealed, leakproof primary container inside
a well-labled, sealed, leakproof durable secondary
container)?.
If the laboratory procedures involve shipping, extramural
transport, importation/exportation of biological materials or
items on dry ice/liquid nitrogen, does the Biosafety Office
have copies of current IATA (Saf-T-Pak) training
certificates for all designated shippers?
 Are appropriate packaging materials available that
comply with the IATA standards for the agents being
shipped?
Is a Biohazard placard posted at entrance(s) to laboratory?
 Is the primary and secondary contact information
current?
 Are the lists of agents current?
 Are the precautionary measures (PPE, vaccinations)
listed current?
B. Special Work Practices
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Has the PI established policies and procedures whereby
only persons who have been advised of the potential
hazards and met specific entry requirements (e.g.
immunization) are allowed to work biological materials or
recombinant DNA?
Does the PI ensure that laboratory staff are screened by
Occupational Health and provided the appropriate
immunizations, response plans, etc., as required by the
IBC for the hazard to which they have a reasonable
expectation for exposure?
Does the PI ensure that persons who are at an increased
risk of acquiring infection or for whom infection may have
serious consequences are not allowed to enter the
laboratory when work with infectious agents is in progress
without permission of the PI?
Has the PI developed a laboratory-specific IBC-approved
Biosafety Protocol and SOPs?
 Have these documents been discussed and made
available in the laboratory for reference?
Has the PI ensured that the laboratory staff have been
trained and demonstrated proficiency in implementing the
laboratory’s IBC-approved SOPs?
 Has this laboratory-specific training been
documented?
Are spills, accidents, and/or injuries that result in overt
exposures to biological materials immediately reported to
the PI?
 Does the PI report these to the Biosafety Office as
required by the IBC?
 Is appropriate medical evaluation provided?
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 Are laboratory staff aware of the spill, exposure,
accident, injury procedures documented in the
laboratory’s IBC-approved SOP (e.g., whom to
contact, and the location of health care providers)?
Are animals and plants not associated with the work being
performed forbidden into the laboratory?
If toxins are being used, are special practices, equipment
and storage being utilized as per the laboratory’s IBCapproved SOPs?
If Select Agents and Toxins (SATs) are being used, are
special practices, equipment and storage being utilized as
per the laboratory’s IBC-approved SOPs?
C. Safety Equipment
(Primary Barriers and Personal Protective Equipment)
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Does the laboratory have a Biosafety Cabinet or other
physical containment device for procedures with a potential
for creating infectious aerosols or splashes, or whenever
handling high concentrations of infectious materials?
Has the Biosafety Cabinet been certified annually or after
installation, relocation or repair?
Is the Biosafety Cabinet installed away from doors, high
traffic areas, ventilation devices, or other equipment that
could disrupt airflow patterns needed for containment?
Is laboratory staff trained to use the Biosafety Cabinet
appropriately?
 Are the grates in the front and back of the Biosafety
Cabinet unblocked?
 Are drop trays disinfected routinely or after spills by
laboratory staff?
 Are rapid in/out and side-to-side arm motions
avoided?
 Is open flame, volatile chemical or radioactive
material use avoided in the Biosafety Cabinet, unless
special equipment and procedures have been
detailed in your IBC-approved SOPs?
Does the centrifuge(s) used for potentially infectious
agents have sealed rotor heads or centrifuge safety caps?
 Are safety caps opened only in a Biosafety Cabinet?
Is protective clothing removed and left in the laboratory
before going to non-laboratory areas (cafeteria, library,
administrative areas)?
Is protective clothing either disposed of in the laboratory or
laundered by institution? (NEVER taken home!)
 Is the procedure for laundering/decontaminating
protective clothing understood by the laboratory
staff?
Is face protection (goggles, mask, face shield, or other
splatter guards) used as per the laboratory’s IBC-approved
SOPs?
 Are sufficient supplies available?
Are gloves changed frequently, when contaminated or torn
(NEVER reused)?
D. BSL -2 Laboratory Facilities (Secondary Barriers)
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Does the laboratory have doors that lock?
Is the laboratory designed so that it can be easily cleaned
and is the laboratory maintained clean? (Carpets and rugs
are not allowed in laboratory work areas and all furniture
must be non-porous; no cloth chairs, curtains, wall covers,
or bulletin boards).
 Are efforts made to easily reduce clutter of items that
cannot be easily decontaminated within the
laboratory?
Are bench tops impervious to water and resistant to heat,
organic solvents, acids, alkalis, and chemicals used to
decontaminate the work surface and equipment?
Is laboratory furniture capable of supporting loads and
uses?
Are spaces between benches, cabinets, and equipment
accessible for cleaning (e.g., does the laboratory refrain
from storing cardboard boxes on the floor and in cold
rooms)?
Are eyewash/eyewash stations readily available?
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 Is laboratory staff trained to locate the eye wash
station with eyes closed within 10 seconds of every
work area?
 Are the eye wash stations flushed at least once every
six months by the laboratory staff?
Is illumination level adequate?
Is the laboratory under negative air pressure relative to the
corridor or neighboring laboratory areas of lower biological
risk?
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
 Environmental Services Manager for your building: _______________________________
(contact for disposal/supply of sharps containers and biohazard boxes)
 Occupational Health Office (ext. 1-3418)
 Laboratory Equipment Services (Biosafety Cabinet Certifier) (ext. 1-16124)
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Principal Investigator is responsible for full compliance with the policies, practices and procedures set forth by the
CDC, NIH, OSHA, and GHSU (see standard references). The PI is responsible for assuring and documenting the
appropriate training of employees and for correcting errors and unsafe working conditions.
Principal Investigator/Representative Signature
Date
Biosafety Office Representative Signature
Date
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