If you work with infectious human pathogens (infectious agents) in your laboratory, you need to register your lab with the Connecticut State Department of Public Health.  Currently, the highest containment allowed at UConn Health is BSL-2 enhanced. Higher level risk group organisms/procedure combinations requiring higher containment are not allowed. Work with Proliferating Select Agents is not allowed at UConn Health.

Resources About Infectious Agents

• Risk Groups (RG) and Biosafety Levels (abbreviated “BSL” in the BMBL and “BL” in the NIH rsNA Guidelines): Infectious agents have been classified into Risk Groups (Appendix B, NIH rsNA Guidelines criteria for these) based on their inherent disease potential in humans. Biosafety Levels (containment) are standardized “combinations of [protective] laboratory practices and techniques, safety equipment and laboratory facilities” (BMBL p. 14). For a good explanation of Risk Groups, Containment Levels and Risk Assessment see sections 2.1 through 2.3 of the Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines 3rd Ed. from the Canadian Minister of Health.
• Determining RGs for a given biological agent usually goes by what information can be found about that agent. Sometimes recommendations are given as BSLs. The US may not have classified an agent but maybe the Canadians have or maybe someone else. We typically choose the best information we can find. Here are some places to look:
  • ABSA risk group lists.
  • CDC/NIH’s Guideline, Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL), 6th Ed., 2007, has Agent Summary Statements with recommended containment precautions in Section VII, beginning on page 88.
  • Appendix B of the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules, April 2024 (NIH rsNA Guidelines).
  • Pathogen Safety Data Sheets (PSDS) from Canada’s Office of Laboratory Security. They also have handy apps for iOS, Android & Windows!

All laboratories in Connecticut that work with known infectious agents classified as Risk Group 2 (RG2) or higher are required to register with the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH).

If your laboratory meets this criterion, it is your responsibility to ensure the lab is properly registered and operating in compliance with state biosafety regulations.

Need Help with Registration?

Contact the UCH Biosafety Office for an overview of the CT DPH registration process. Our team can walk you through the steps and help ensure you’re prepared for inspection.

Training & Documentation

PI’s must maintain training records for all researchers in the lab.

•  Laboratory Safety Training, (Completion email from EH&S)

• Annual  BBP training, (SABA, HealthStream, or EH&S online) (Certificate)

• Annual BSL-2 training. (Document on Training Log)

• PI Biosafety & Biosecurity training: Required by PI’s every three years, provided by the CITI Program training platform.

Training Records: Document all training—whether completed in-lab or via resources provided on this website. Records should be maintained and available for review.

Preparing for Inspection

To help your lab meet inspection standards, the Biosafety Office can provide you with the same checklist used by CT DPH inspectors.

• General Lab Working with RG2 or Higher: Ask for the Laboratory BSL-2 checklist.

• Building B: Animal Labs at BSL-2 (ABSL-2): Ask for the ABSL-2 inspection checklist.

Note: You do not need to fill out the checklist—it’s provided as a reference tool to help you prepare.

Required Laboratory Postings

Ensure the following items are clearly posted in your laboratory space:

• Emergency Plan & Spill Cleanup Procedures – A documented plan for responding to biological spills must be visible and accessible.

• Eyewash Station Log – A log sheet must be posted near each eyewash station to document weekly functional testing.  If your lab is unoccupied for a period of time, that must also be logged on the sheet as NA

• Inventory of Biohazardous Materials- A list of biohazardous materials used in the lab, and used or stored in laboratory equipment.

Questions?

Contact the Biosafety Office for:

• Registration assistance

• Inspection preparation

• Training materials and guidance

We’re here to support safe, compliant, and successful research operations.