Policies & Resources
Regulations and Policies
In order to be federally compliant, U of R must file an annual report that includes the roster of current committee members and their CVs. The required composition of the IBC is outlined by the NIH. The IBC will meet once to twice a semester or more often as needed to evaluate submitted protocols.
Copies of the minutes and records (including MUAs) for all IBC meetings will be kept at the institutional level. These records must be available for anyone from the public who wishes to see them and for audit purposes.
Biosafety Level 2 Facilities
The IBC will oversee outside inspections of the BSL2 designated spaces three times a year. The laboratory biosafety inspection report can be found here (more details to come).
Research groups designated as BSL2 are required to submit their biosafety manuals and standard operating procedures to biosafety@richmond.edu. The IBC has put together a generalized biosafety manual that can serve as a resource for UR researchers. In addition, we encourage faculty to refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) guide.
Environmental Health & Safety
The IBC works in collaboration with U of R's Environmental Health & Safety to develop and implement policies. Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to visit their pages on fire safety, laboratory safety, regulated waste, and radiation as needed.The general University of Richmond Biosafety Manual can be accessed by clicking here.
Bloodborne Pathogens
OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens training is required annually for all faculty, staff, and students who are listed on protocols that involve the handling of human blood, blood products, and other potentially infectious materials. Click here to access the document with information about materials and work falling under the BBP standard. The Principal Investigator of students or staff at risk of exposure is responsible for documenting the initial and annual training of her/her staff and students via the BBP training as a CITI course and laboratory-specific training by the Principle Investigator.
The IBC provides BBP training as a CITI course. In addition, laboratory-specific training must be provided by the PI.
The University of Richmond Bloodborne Pathogens in Research Exposure Control Plan is provided to eliminate of minimize the exposure of all employees and students to human blood or blood products that might contain bloodborne pathogens. This plan is in compliance with the OSHA bloodborne pathogen standard 29 CFR 1910.1030.
In addition, there are also separate BBP Exposure Control Forms for research labs and course teaching labs that must be used to supplement the general BBP Exposure Control Plan and must be submitted for IBC review with the appropriate MUA. All of these forms can be accessed from the biosafety website’s IBC submission forms page.
IACUC considerations
Researchers who utilize animals in their research alongside additional biosafety considerations should partner with IACUC and the IBC to make sure that both protocols are in compliance.