Updated biosafety guidance for work with SARS-CoV-2 from CDC and NIH

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has updated its biosafety guidance for work with SARS-CoV-2. The CDC now recommends that work with SARS-CoV-2 be conducted at a minimum of biosafety level 2 (BSL-2). The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is aligning by rescinding the interim risk group classification of Risk Group 3 for SARS-CoV-2.

Sharps Safety

Updated November 18, 2024

Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) is committed to working with University personnel to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries before, during, and after procedures involving sharps. The following resources will help you and your staff avoid needlesticks and sharps injuries.

Before the procedure

We recommend preparing to work with sharps by doing the following:

 

Replace your obsolete biosafety cabinet

The University has over 950 active biosafety cabinets (BSCs), and about 150 have become obsolete due to safer design standards and the challenge of obtaining replacement parts. Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) recommends replacing obsolete cabinets before they fail to minimize disruptions to research projects.

The following resources are available to assist you with the purchase and replacement of BSCs: