The ORCBS - Biological Safety - Programs & Guidelines

Plant Biosafety Level 2 (PBSL-2)

Standard Practices

Greenhouse access
Access to the greenhouse shall be limited or restricted, at the discretion of the Greenhouse Director, to individuals directly involved with the experiments when they are in progress. Personnel shall be required to read and follow instructions on PBSL-2 practices and procedures. All procedures shall be conducted in accordance with accepted greenhouse practices that are appropriate to the experimental organisms.

Records
A record shall be kept of experimental plants, microorganisms, or small animals that are brought into or removed from the greenhouse facility. A record shall be kept of experiments currently in progress in the greenhouse facility. The Principal Investigator shall report any greenhouse accident involving the inadvertent release or spill of microorganisms to the Greenhouse Director and the Biological Safety Officer. Documentation of any such accident shall be prepared and maintained.

Decontamination and inactivation
Experimental organisms shall be rendered biologically inactive by appropriate methods before disposal outside of the greenhouse facility. Decontamination of run-off water is not necessarily required. If part of the greenhouse is composed of gravel or similar material, appropriate treatments should be made periodically to eliminate, or render inactive, any organisms potentially entrapped by the gravel.

Control of undesired species and motile macroorganisms
A program shall be implemented to control undesired species (e.g., weed, rodent, or arthropod pests and pathogens) by methods appropriate to the organisms and in accordance with applicable state and Federal laws. Arthropods and other motile macroorganisms shall be housed in appropriate cages. If macroorganisms (e.g., flying arthropods or nematodes) are released within the greenhouse, precautions shall be taken to minimize escape from the greenhouse facility.

Concurrent experiments conducted in the greenhouse
Experiments involving other organisms that require a containment level lower than PBSL-2 may be conducted in the greenhouse concurrently with experiments that require PBSL-2 containment provided that all work is conducted in accordance with PBSL-2 greenhouse practices.

Signs
A sign shall be posted indicating that a restricted experiment is in progress. The sign shall indicate the following: (i) the name of the responsible individual, (ii) the plants in use, and (iii) any special requirements for using the area. If organisms are used that have a recognized potential for causing serious detrimental impacts on managed or natural ecosystems, their presence shall be indicated on a sign posted on the greenhouse access doors. If there is a risk to human health, a sign shall be posted incorporating the universal biosafety symbol.

Transfer of materials
Materials containing experimental microorganisms, which are brought into or removed from the greenhouse facility in a viable or intact state, shall be transferred in a closed non-breakable container.

Greenhouse practices manual
A greenhouse practices manual shall be prepared or adopted. This manual shall: (i) advise personnel of the potential consequences if such practices are not followed, and (ii) outline contingency plans to be implemented in the event of the unintentional release of organisms.