Safety & Security
Volunteers and Minors
Volunteers
If you are interested in volunteering on research projects, use the links below to view USF Policy and the required forms.
- Volunteers (USF Human Resources)
- Volunteer Guidelines
- Volunteer Application
- Volunteer Appointment form
- Volunteer Extension Request Form
Minors
If you are a minor be sure to view the information and registration form for minors.
- Minors in Hazardous Areas - Policy 6-038
- Minors in Hazardous Areas (USF St. Petersburg campus)
- Minors in Hazardous Areas Registration Form
A minor, persons under the age of 18, may not have a fully developed immune system and may be more susceptible to acquiring an infection when a potential biohazard exposure occurs in a lab. General principles of biosafety define practices for biohazardous agents associated with disease in healthy adults. The risk is different in immunocompromised individuals or if immune systems are not fully developed.
Any minor working in a research lab is limited to BSL-1 or BSl-2 labs only; BSL-3 prohibits minors in lab.
- There must be constant direct supervision by an adult lab staff identified as responsible for oversight or the PI.
- The minor must be made aware of the biohazard risk of the agent(s) that they will be working with.
- The minor must be trained in the tasks and SOPs they will be performing, and parental consent must be secured.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must be worn as required by the lab SOP and policy.
Biosafety information:
Volunteers working directly with any infectious agents/rDNA will need to be added to the IBC protocol via an amendment.
Volunteers will need to have an ARC account and will need to complete USF Biosafety training. Register for the core course, Biosafety Principles and Practices. The biosafety training courses are offered once a month via Microsoft Teams. If these dates and times do not work, please contact biosafety@usf.edu. We can set up alternate training.
Even if the volunteer will not be working directly with these agents, we request that they take the Biosafety core course due to possible contact with biohazards while in the lab.