Biosafety
The Biosafety Program at Texas State University was established to promote safety in research studies, to prevent disease, to ensure safe handling of biological agents, to ensure safe disposal of biohazardous waste, and to comply with applicable institutional policies and regulatory requirements.
Principal investigators/supervisors are responsible for determining the appropriate biosafety level and for establishing safe procedures and for providing the proper protective equipment needed in handling biological agents. They must instruct their personnel as to the possible hazards, the safety precautions, waste handling procedures, the consequences of an accident, and the actions to take in case of an accident. It is also his/her responsibility to assure that employees and students are held accountable for the agents and equipment that they work with. In case of a job/program transfer or termination, employees or students must properly dispose of or transfer all chemicals and assigned equipment to another responsible party before leaving.
Employees and students are required to learn and understand the hazards of the organisms as well as the chemicals they work with. They should also be familiar with the operational features of lab equipment and follow all precautions applicable to each task. In case of unexpected malfunctioning, damage, or injury, the employee and student should act to protect himself and others in the area.