Biosafety Policy

Calvin University is committed to ensuring the safe handling, storage, and disposal of potentially biohazardous materials used (or present) at the university. The university is also committed to complying with all applicable regulatory and compliance mandates.

Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) and the Calvin Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), provide the necessary guidance, information and procedures, for the safe use of biohazardous or potentially biohazardous agents at Calvin.

Environmental Health and Safety provides primary oversight of occupational related exposure to biohazardous materials. EHS provides employees with training related to biohazardous materials including awareness of hazards, proper usage instruction, packaging and shipping and disposal procedures.

The Calvin University IBC bears primary oversight responsibility for the use of biohazardous materials in teaching and research. The IBC reviews all research and teaching that involves recombinant DNA, infectious or potentially infectious agents to ensure that the work is conducted safely seeking to eliminate exposure to harmful agents for the worker, co-workers and the community. If your teaching or research includes any of the above, you must complete and submit a Biosafety application to the IBC.

The biosafety manual and the BBP Exposure Control Plan contain procedures for acquiring authorization to use, safety precautions to follow when working with biohazards, emergency procedures for handling accidents involving biohazardous agents and procedures for the disposal of biohazards. All other appropriate regulations and guidelines (radiation, chemical, occupational safety, etc.) must also be followed.

The biosafety manual contains procedures for acquiring authorization to use, purchase, and possess biohazardous agents; safety precautions to follow when working with biohazards; emergency procedures for handling accidents involving biohazardous agents; and procedures for the disposal of biohazards. All other appropriate regulations and guidelines (radiation, chemical, occupational safety, etc.) must also be followed.