Institutional Biosafety Committee
The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) consists of scientists, support staff, pertinent subject matter experts, and community representatives and is charged by the Associate Laboratory Director for the Environment, Biology, Nuclear Science and Nonproliferation Directorate with the oversight of all research activities involving regulated biological material as required by 10 CFR 851.
This also includes:
- 66 FR 57975 National Institute of Health (NIH): Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules.
- 42 CFR 73 CDC Possession, Use, and Transfer of Select Agents and Toxins; Final Rule.
- 9 CFR Part 121 and 7 CFR Part 331 USDA/APHIS Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002; Possession, Use, and Transfer of Biological Agents and Toxins; Final Rule.
The BNL Work Planning and Control Management System provides the means for all Departments/Divisions conducting experiments to establish a graded approach to determine the level of rigor used in the documentation, hazard analysis, and review of their experiments. Each Department uses an Experimental Safety Review Committee to review new experiments and significant modifications to experiments. For biological work, the Biohazards Subject Area provides the requirements for the review. Review by the Institutional Biosafety Committee should supplement and not supplant the Experimental Safety Review system. Thus, it is necessary for the Departments/Divisions conducting work to complete the standard experimental safety reviews for those projects involving the use biological agents and to involve pertinent subject matter experts in the review process (Biological Safety, Emergency Services, Occupational Medicine, Security, etc.). After internal review/approval, the projects that identify regulated biological work are sent to the Institutional Biosafety Committee for final approval. The IBC will ensure concurrence by the appropriate Subject Matter Experts. In addition, the IBC will review DOE Lessons Learned Documents related to Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid (RSNAM) activities or etiologic agent use for potential improvements to institutional policies, procedures, work practices, training, and assessment activities.
The IBC is responsible for:
- Reviewing the site's security, safeguards, and emergency management plans and procedures to ensure they adequately consider work involving biological etiological agents.
- Maintain an inventory and status of biological etiological agents and provide to the responsible field and area office annually.
- Provide for submission to the appropriate Head of DOE Field Element for review and concurrence before transmittal to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each Laboratory Registration/Select Agent Program registration application package requesting registration of a laboratory facility for the purpose of transferring, receiving, or handling biological select agents.
- The Committee meets at the discretion of the Chairperson, but at least annually. A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of the term members.
Minutes
Minutes from the BNL Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) meetings are provided below:
Related Links
Contact
Office of Research Administration
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Building 120 – P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000
