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Definition
Biohazardous agents, sometimes also referred to as infectious agents, are organisms capable of producing infection or disease in humans, animals, or plants. They include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
Working safely with biohazardous agents
Understand the Risk Group of the agent UWM categorizes agents into Risk Groups as described in Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories and the NIH Guidelines. Tables that outline the appropriate Risk Group for various agents can be found at the links below: Conduct a risk assessment Use your risk assessment to determine the appropriate Biosafety Level for your work. In your risk assessment, consider the following: Helpful resources to conduct your risk assessment include: Submit your work for approval by the Institutional Biosafety Committee Principal Investigators or Instructors who wish to use biohazardous agents in their laboratories must submit their work for approval by the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). Complete required training Biosafety training is required for all individuals conducting research with biohazardous agents. Find complete biosafety training requirements on the Biosafety Training webpage.