Team:CMUQ/Safety
Safety
The biosafety level of our workspace is level 1, which is a low-risk level and the highest level that is required to complete our experiments. No risks have been identified with the organisms used in the laboratory. However, transforming the host with plasmid containing antibiotic resistance gene (ampR) may pose a health risk if hygiene is not practiced.
Exposure to toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic chemicals such as ethidium bromide, phenol chloroform, chloroform, acrylamide, and cobalt is possible. To avoid these risks, members of the iGEM team working in the lab are required to attend safety training in chemical and biological safety which is run by the environmental, health and safety office at CMU. Without safety training, the team members are not allowed to work in the lab. Also, there is no working alone policy, according to https://www.cmu.edu/ehs/. PHS forms detailing hazards associated with working with chemicals such as ethidium bromide will be filled and signed under the supervision of Maria Navarro (Laboratory Manager). Safety officer will be updated with regards to bacterial strains the team is working with. Hazardous waste are managed properly.
To learn more about our safety procedures, you can check our Safety Form.