Biological Safety

The College's Biological Safety Program encompasses the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) requirements for recombinant DNA (rDNA) research. The primary elements of our Biosafety program include written policies and procedures, training and periodic compliance inspections.

Please review the BMBL, the primary reference for biological safety in the laboratory:

CDC/NIH Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL), 5th Edition Online

Important Links

Register and update your research for IBC review (online via Bioraft)

• More information on the Dartmouth College Institutional Biosafety Committee
• The Clinical Gene Transfer Subcommittee 
• Personal Protective Equipment Certification for BSL2 work
• Vaccinia Use and Surveillance Policy
• Exposure Control Program: BSL2 Practices and Procedures
• Hazardous Materials Shipping Policy
• ABSA/OSHA General Microbiology Fact Sheet

Program Overview

All work involving biological agents, human blood and body fluids, viral vectors and pathogens must be registered with EHS. Questions related to the need for possible rDNA registration can also be directed to EHS through the College's Biological Safety Officer.

Registration is done online through the BioRaft registration system. This is an important process for IBC approval and is required for all labs that use biological materials.

The EHS office gathers information on research conducted in your laboratory to:

• provide an inventory of hazardous materials on campus
• help ensure safe conduct of research

• assist labs in compliance with State and Federal regulations

• identify training needs for individuals working in your lab

• report to the various Faculty committees and the Provost on research oversight

The Dartmouth College Institutional Biological Safety Committee (IBC) provides oversight and review of the Biosafety program. IBC meetings are open to the public. Please contact the Office of Environmental Health and Safety for upcoming dates at (603) 646-1762.

The Clinical Gene Transfer Subcommittee (CGTS) of the Dartmouth Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is a multidisciplinary committee charged with the review of clinical protocols involving gene related therapies.

Other Resources and Links

The CDC/NIH recently updated their Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories. The 5th Ed. is now available online. Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) has become the code of practice for biosafety, the discipline addressing the safe handling and containment of infectious microorganisms and hazardous biological materials. The BMBL oulines the microbiological practices, safety equipment, and facility safeguards that protect laboratory workers, the environment, and the public from exposure to infectious microorganisms that are handled and stored in the laboratory and is the basis for Dartmouth's biological research safety policies and guidelines.

• The OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard
• WHO Biosafety Manual (3rd Edition)
• NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules
• A list of Risk Group Classifications for Infectious Agents
• Office of Biosafety at Health Canada's Laboratory Centre for Disease Control (for specific information on particular infectious substances)
• Safety Considerations in working with Lentiviral vectors
• Exposure to Blood (What Healthcare Personnel Need to Know)
• Eye Protection for Work with Infectious Agents
• Trangenic animals and the use of rDNA in animals

For specific questions or to learn more about our Biosafety Program, please E-mail the Dartmouth College Biosafety Officer.