Institutional Biosafety Committee
The PHSU Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) oversights for the implementation of safe practices in research, concerning the use of biological material that might represent a hazard for those handling it during research projects. The use of potentially hazardous biological materials in research is highly regulated by the federal agencies, the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Hazardous biological materials are those with the capacity to expose people to get in contact with infectious organisms, toxins, and recombinant nucleic acids, that may cause disease or an adverse effect to their health.
The IBC evaluates all the proposed projects where potential biological hazards are present, to guarantee the identification of the hazardous material and who may be at risk of exposure. They review the safety protocols designed to prevent exposure and the equipment available for protection. By evaluating the research protocols, the committee also ensures that all research projects at PHSU are in compliance with the institutional policies about Biosafety courses, Bloodborne Pathogens courses, protocols for Post-exposure Prophylaxis and HBV vaccination.