This manual has been prepared as an update to the 1976 Minimum Safety Guidelines for Biological Research at Yale, and the 1979 Yale University Biological Safety Manual. As with the previous manuals, we have provided a core set of biosafety practices and procedures for the safe handling of known biohazards and potentially infectious materials. Relevant sections from the previous manuals have been maintained and updated where necessary.

The manual focuses on Biosafety Levels 1 and 2, as over 99% of Yale laboratories fall within these designations. A separate manual is available for researchers working in Biosafety Level 3 research laboratories. No work with Biosafety Level 4 agents may be conducted at Yale University.

The Yale Office of Environmental Health and Safety, Occupational Health and Safety Section (OHS) Biosafety Program and the requirements for Yale researchers are outlined in the manual. Registration and training information are provided along with details on work practices, safety equipment and facility design. It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator or Supervisor to ensure that his/her laboratory is in compliance. That responsibility includes identification of the risk or hazards associated with their research and the application of the appropriate safety procedures. Please read the section on responsibilities for additional information.

In the past, the University has also distributed copies of the Centers for Disease Control/National Institutes of Health Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories to all Yale research laboratories. The text has served as a functional biosafety manual for the University. This document and other pertinent biosafety training information and training materials are now available on the Office of Environmental Health and Safety Web site (http://www.yale.edu/oehs/). New editions or updates will be posted on our Web site when feasible.

We urge you to use the manual as a road map to compliance within your laboratory. Consult the sections relevant to your research and apply the appropriate safety procedures. The Biosafety Office is available for consultation if you have any question or concern with any aspect of the Biosafety Program at the University. The Occupational Health and Safety training credo, “Think before you act,” and “If you do not know, ask,” are relevant to the use of this manual. If you are unsure of a requirement or biosafety practice, please contact the Biosafety group at 785-3550 for assistance. We also would appreciate any feedback or comments that you may have with the use of this manual, and will incorporate any suggestions in future versions.

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