Biosafety Education and Training
Persons Required to Complete Training
Training in proper microbiological techniques is required for anyone working with recombinant DNA, infectious agents, select agents, and biological toxins or who works in a laboratory where these materials are used/stored.
The assurance of proper training is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator (PI) or laboratory supervisor of the facility in which the hazard is used. We recommend that the PI/Lab Supervisor supplement the training courses by conducting practical demonstrations and assessments of competence in the laboratory.
Training Requirements
There are three types of Biosafety training requirements:
- Core - Must be completed by those who have not completed it previously.
- Continuing Education - Must be completed annually by taking one of the CE courses or by re-taking the live core course.
- Special Topics - Required for persons involved in certain types of work.
Courses Offered
Core Course
- USF Biosafety Training Course - This is required for those who have not completed it previously. It may be repeated in subsequent years to meet the annual requirement for continuing education. More details are available on the Biosafety Course Registration Page.
Completion of any one of these web-based courses will meet the annual continuing education (CE) requirement for those who have completed the core course in a previous year. These courses can be accessed worldwide from the Internet. Each takes about 45 minutes to complete. To receive credit, you must register online (click respective links below). If you do not have Internet access, contact Andy Mackley at (813) 974-5110 or pmackley@research.usf.edu for a CD version.
Another way meet the annual CE requirement is to repeat the live core course (see above).
Please do not register for more than one CE course per year.
- Autoclaves: For a course description and to register
- Biological Safety Cabinets: For a course description and to register
- IBC Overview: For a course description and to register
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): For a course description and to register
- Selection and Use of Disinfectants: For a course description and to register
- Introduction to Gene Based Viral Vectors: For a course description and to register
- NEW: Working Safely with Centrifuges: For a course description and to register
Special Topics
- BSL-3 Training - Training is required for each person who has access to BSL-3 facilities. To view more information about specific BSL-3 training courses, to find out who is required to complete training, or to register.
- Shipping Biohazardous Materials
- Those personnel who ship and/or receive potentially infectious biological agents are required to complete this course biannually. This is computer-based training that takes about 3 hours to complete.
View more information about shipping training and to find out who is required to complete the training.
To schedule a time to complete the course, please contact: Andy Mackley, at (813) 974-5110 or pmackley@research.usf.edu.
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