Responsibilities
The ultimate responsibility in biosafety matters lies with the rector who delegates, in line with the standard procedure, to (in this order) the vice-rector and deputy executive administrator for research, heads of departments and institutes, principal investigators and supervisors and, finally, to each of the university's employees and students.
The following roles have important functions in this area.
The Principal Investigators (PI) are responsible for the safety and health of all personnel involved in their projects/lines of research.
The specific responsibilities of the PI staff are as follow:
- Evaluate beforehand the biological risks arising from the proposed research project or experimental procedure and apply the appropriate preventive measures.
- Ensure adequate training of all personnel associated with the project or experimental procedure.
- Notify the facilities and research activities that involve the use of genetically modified organisms or natural pathogens.
- Investigate and report any significant problems affecting the effectiveness and the implementation of biosafety practices and procedures.
- Comply with the legal and internal regulations and enforce them.
- Follow any instructions/guidelines given by CBS.
Supervisors (SV), as the facility managers, have the authority and necessary support to assess risks, establish safety policies and procedures, ensure adequate training of investigators, and the proper maintenance of the facility and equipments.
The SV specific responsibilities are the following:
- Inform the IBC about the facility authorization requests to work with biological agents and ensure that the principal investigator (PI) has completed the necessary procedures to carry out the requested activity.
- Develop and implement the biosafety manual and the general biosafety procedures of the facility.
- Ensure the integrity of the physical (e.g. biological safety cabinet, autoclave, HEPA filters, etc.) and biological (e.g. the authenticity of the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of the biological material, etc.) containment.
- Establish the entry and exit conditions to the facility.
- Assume the management functions of the facility's specific self-protection plan.
- Keep and have at the disposal of the authorities all the documentation that is legally required and technically necessary for the facility to function properly.
- Comply with the legal and internal regulations and enforce them.
- Follow any instructions given by the IBC.
The biosafety officer (BSO) is responsible for advising on biological agents handling and for carrying out the general management of the UAB's biosafety program.
The BSO specific responsibilities are the following:
- Provide the CBS with the documentation and technical information necessary to properly develop the competencies assigned to it.
- Intercede between the teaching and research staff, the IBC and the public administrations.
- Carry out a first review and evaluation of the information sent to the IBC.
- Receive, process and distribute all IBC internal documentation.
- Advise to the PIs on the notifications required by the competent authority regarding facilities and the use of pathogenic and/or genetically modified organisms.
- Provide advice and training in biosafety (e.g. disinfection and/or sterilization, handling of materials and disposal of biological waste, biosafety equipments, biological emergencies, etc.).
- Collaborate in the biocontainment facilities design, as well as in the supervision of their maintenance and use.
- Prepare instructions, guides and general procedures for working with biological agents and biohazardous waste.
- Define and monitor a qualification program for biological safety cabinets and other biosafety equipments.
- Develop emergency plans for biological spills and personal contamination.
- Investigate accidents/incidents and make appropriate recommendations regarding preventive measures.
- Inspect those facilities working with biohazardous agents.
- Coordinate with the Medical Service in order to carry out appropriate medical surveillance.
- Coordinate with the biosafety officers from other facilities on campus not belonging to the UAB.
- Assume the functions as a Secretary of the IBC by appointment.
- The ones derived from their workplace and that are defined in the UAB Biosafety Manual or were assigned by the IBC.
The specific responsibilities of the technical staff are the following:
- Follow the procedures and best practices established by the UAB, the Supervisor of the facility or the principal investigator.
- Know the operating procedures of the laboratory, the potential dangers of the agent or the biological material used and the preventive measures to apply.
- Receive the required training and to demonstrate the necessary skills to work with standard microbiological techniques.
- Use protective measures, such as biological safety cabinets and personal protective equipment (PPE), to prevent exposure to biological agents and to contaminate the personnel and the facility.
- Notify the Supervisor of the installation of any danger, accident or incident that has occurred.
- Carry out the assigned operational tasks in accordance with established procedures (e.g. equipment maintenance, cleaning and disinfection, safe storage, sending and receiving biological samples, recording activities and incidents, waste treatment, etc.).
- Comply with the medical requirements.
Functions and responsibilities in matters of occupational risk prevention are defined in the document Prevenció de riscos laborals a la UAB (Occupational risk prevention at the UAB), approved by the Consell de Govern on 19 December, 2007.