Lab Inspections

Laboratory inspections are a requirement of all experiments involving BSL-2 or higher containment. These experiments can include work with recombinant DNA, infectious organisms, and/or toxins. Please refer to the What Needs Approval link located on this website for further details. In order to receive initial approval for research activities in a BSL-2 or BSL-3 laboratory, a current inspection report must be on file with any identified deficiencies corrected. An inspection of a BSL-2 laboratory is valid for a period of three years. Activities requiring BSL-3 containment and/or using select agents require inspections at least annually. The investigator is responsible for ensuring that the appropriate inspections are obtained. To schedule an inspection you may contact the Biological Safety Officer (BSO), at 744-3203 or 880-4407. A pre-inspection will be conducted prior to the official inspection in an effort to answer questions and address any obvious issues.

The following steps will help investigators prepare for the inspections:

1. Take time to sort through your biological materials, including biological samples, cultures, biologically derived toxins, plasmid, vectors, etc.
2. Verify that all samples are properly identified and stored correctly.
3. Ensure the proper disposal of unwanted materials, including any unidentified or unclaimed material. EHS (http://ehs.okstate.edu/) has a helpful website.
   

   If at any point select agents are completely removed from an inventory for the purpose of destruction, the PI must contact the BSO prior to destruction. A time will be arranged for the BSO to witness the destruction. Additionally, the Destruction of Inventory form will need to be filled out by the BSO and signed by all parties involved.

4. Written inventories, training records, chemical hygiene plan, medical surveillance plans, and safety and security procedures/manuals must be available to the lab inspectors.

Information on biosafety containment levels and other guidance is available in the NIH Guidelines and the Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories(BMBL) (PDF)*. Investigators are encouraged to consult these sources to ensure that their laboratories meet the required standards for sound biosafety.

A sample lab inspection checklist is provided to assist you in preparation of a laboratory inspection.