Safety & Security

Lab Close-out/Relocation

If your lab will be closing or you are relocating to another lab space there are procedures that need to be followed with regards to clean up/decontamination and disposition of biohazardous materials. For those researchers who use/possess infectious agents, rDNA or Biological toxins in your lab, it is your or your departments' responsibility to be certain that the lab space that is being vacated is cleared of hazards and that all biological materials are removed prior to vacating the lab space.

CLEAN UP OF LAB SPACE

Prior to leaving the lab space, the following items must be completed:

  1. Trash shall be removed from the space including empty containers, papers, and disposable materials. Remove all lab matting, absorbents or chucks from all benches and cabinets and empty all drawers. Non-hazardous materials may be disposed of as general waste.

  2. Transfer any biohazardous materials (adenoviral vectors, plasmids, cell lines, etc.) from the fridge/freezer:
    • In double containment to new laboratory on campus.
    • Packaged, labeled and shipped if relocating to a laboratory off site. Note: Only personnel that are trained to ship hazardous materials can package and ship these items. Our office provides shipping training at no cost for employees of USF and its affiliates (Moffitt, VA, ACH, etc.). You can register for the Shipping Training Course. If you will not be transferring your biohazardous materials, ensure that they are decontaminated and disposed of.

  3. Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) Please note that Biological specimens (cell lines, human, mouse tissues, infectious agents) that you plan to relocate from USF may require a Material Transfer Agreement (MTAs). For the specifics relating to MTAs please contact Tech Transfer. If an MTA is needed it must be in place prior to the relocation of the samples/specimens. Please be aware that MTAs can take several weeks to complete. Therefore this should be initiated as soon as possible.

  4. Remove All Biohazardous Waste & Sharps - transfer or decontaminate specimens. If you have a large amount of biological material to dispose of, contact the Environmental Health and Safety and to request extra biohazard waste bins.

  5. Decontaminate all liquid biohazard waste by adding bleach to a final concentration of 10% and allowing it to sit ample time prior to disposal down the drain followed by copious amounts of water.

  6. Disinfect All Biohazardous Work Surfaces & Equipment (i.e. BSC, lab benches, empty water baths, centrifuges, freezers etc.)
     
    • Decontaminate surfaces of contamination prone equipment, e.g. refrigerators, incubators, water baths, centrifuges.
      • Refrigerators must be emptied of all contents and interior and exterior surfaces (doors and handles) must be wiped down with freshly made 10% bleach or another EPA listed tuberculocidal disinfectant.
      • Incubators and water baths must be drained of all standing water including water in water-jacketed incubators. Surfaces must be wiped with freshly made 10% bleach made or another EPA listed tuberculocidal disinfectant

    • All work surfaces, door, drawer and cabinet handles in the laboratory must be wiped down with freshly made 10% bleach or another EPA listed tuberculocidal disinfectant that is effective for the agents used in your research before vacating the lab.

    • BSCs-Wipe down and remove all contents from the biological safety cabinet. Disconnect the tissue culture vacuum flask and decontaminate by adding bleach to a final concentration of 10% and allowing it to sit ample minutes before disposal down the drain. Disinfect all accessible surfaces of the biological safety cabinet with freshly made 10% bleach or another EPA listed tuberculocidal disinfectant that is effective for the agents used in your research. The BSC should then be decontaminated. We recommend that a vendor such as MedRep provide this service.

  7. Remove All Biohazard signage from the doors and any equipment that will remain in the laboratory.

  8. Document the decontamination process using the form Decontamination of Equipment Prior to Relocation and/or Lab Closeout (PDF). Once the form is completed, send to the Biosafety Office. We will then schedule a final walkthrough of the lab space and sign the form indicating that the lab decontamination has been completed and post in the vacated lab space(s).

Feel free to contact us via email or (813) 974-5091 if you require assistance in how to properly decontaminate any of your equipment.

INSTITUTIONAL BIOSAFETY COMMITTEE ITEMS TO RECONCILE

  • If you will be leaving the University, contact Biosafety Program to close out all currently active IBC protocols.

  • If your lab is relocating, you need to submit an amendment to remove the current lab space(s) and add the new lab space(s). An inspection will be required of the new lab space(s) prior to work being initiated.

  • If you will be transferring any agents to another researcher at USF, they must have a current IBC protocol approved for the agents to be transferred. You can contact the Biosafety office to determine if the researcher is approved. If not they will need to submit an amendment to add the agents to their approved IBC protocol or submit a new IBC application in BiosafetyNet for review and approval prior to the transfer of the agents.