Safety and Security Responsibilities
All Participants
All participants are responsible for working safely in the laboratory, and for ensuring that the project complies with local laws and university/institutional guidelines. The iGEM Safety and Security Committee is not a substitute for the biosafety regulations of your country, or for the lab safety guidelines of your university. By approving your forms, the iGEM Safety Committee is only affirming that your team has permission to participate in iGEM. We cannot certify that your project is completely safe (even "safe" organisms, like E. coli K-12, can present some risks!). Likewise, we cannot certify that your project is in compliance with all applicable rules and regulations of your university/institution, local government, national government, and/or international treaties.
Team members
All team members must:
- Carefully consider safety and security issues throughout the design, conduct and transfer of projects - consulting instructors or the iGEM Safety and Security Committee as needed
- Work safely and securely in the laboratory
- Complete safety and security forms
- Follow iGEM's safety and security rules and policies
- Be responsible and striving to be conscientious members of the synthetic biology community
Instructors
Instructors are responsible for:
- Teaching their students to work safely and securely in the laboratory, and answering questions about safety and security
- Being actively involved in the development and conduct of the iGEM project
- Reviewing and certifying the Safety and Security Form
- Ensuring the project complies with all relevant international, regional, national, local and institutional rules and regulations
The iGEM Safety and Security Committee
The iGEM Safety and Security Committee is responsible for:
- Working with iGEM communities to strengthen working safely and securely in synthetic biology
- Reviewing and approving safety and security forms promptly
- Performing safety and security checks on Registry parts