Biosafety inspections are required for all laboratories that conduct research or teaching activities involving recombinant/synthetic nucleic acid molecules and/or biohazardous materials. These activities also require registration of a Biosafety Protocol with the Institutional Biosafety Committee. Refer to the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) site for more details on Biosafety Protocol registration.
Scheduling a Biosafety Inspection
The Biosafety Program will reach out to labs when inspections need to be renewed. You can also schedule your Biosafety Inspection directly online. If you run into any scheduling issues, contact us for further assistance.
The Biosafety Program conducts inspections before initial approval of new research or teaching activities and periodically thereafter. Biosafety Inspections are renewed based on the risk of activities conducted:
- Biosafety Level 1 (BSL-1) Laboratories: Every 2 years
- Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) or higher Laboratories: Every year
You can check the date and results of your past biosafety inspections online using the instructions below.
- Log in to LabCliq using your ePantherID and password.
- In the lefthand menu, select “Complete Inspections.”
- If needed, toggle the filter option to “Show All” and update the date window to the time period you’d like to view. Biosafety Inspections will be identified in the “Type” column.
Preparing for Your Biosafety Inspection
Review and complete the UWM Biosafety Inspection Checklist. This checklist will help you identify and address common issues in advance of your inspection. Additional steps you can take to prepare for your inspection include:
The below guidance documents outline standard biosafety expectations for different laboratory biosafety levels:
- UWM Biosafety Manual: Chapters 3-5
- NIH Guidelines (PDF): Appendices G, K, L, & M
- CDC/NIH BMBL (PDF): Sections IV & V
Review the biological materials in your lab, such as samples, cultures, plasmids, vectors, etc., to ensure they are properly identified, labeled, and stored.
Make sure all biological waste is properly contained. Decontaminate and dispose of any biohazardous or recombinant waste that is ready for disposal. If any sharps waste containers have been filled to 3/4 full, close the containers and request a hazardous waste pickup.
Biosafety documentation should be up-to-date and available for inspection. This may include approved Biosafety Protocols, lab-specific training records, exposure control plans, and/or biological inventories.