Select Agent List (PDF)

CDC Select Agent
Program (SAP)

Research Safety/ComplianceTraining

What training is a researcher (anyone who does research in a non-clinical lab) at the UConn Health Center required to have attended?

All New Employees

• Attend New Employee Orientation on alternating Fridays in the Administrative Services Building. Call Human Resources at 860-679-2426 to answer any questions about the orientation program. This orientation contains several important safety trainings provided by the Office of Research Safety (ORS) including especially the Initial Bloodborne Pathogen Training and a basic Safety overview (personal protective equipment, lock-out/tag-out, radiation safety, chemical safety, etc.)
• Receive free medical evaluation and consultation about their health relative to their new job at Employee Health Service (EHS) in Dowling North, 3rd Floor. It is best if new employees know some details about their duties to make this opportunity most efficient and effective. To make an appointment, call 860-679-8005 and leave your contact information. Someone in EHS will return your call. When you go to your appointment, make sure to bring with you your immunization records and TB Skin Test screening results documentation if they are available.

All Research Laboratory Personnel

• Including PIs, Lab Supervisors, Postdocs, Research Associates and Assistants, Students, Volunteers, Visiting Workers and Trainees, all are required to take Laboratory Safety Training offered by the Office of Research Safety (ORS). Contact Liz Pokorski at 860-679-2723 with questions. This training covers an overview of basic lab safety and compliance, chemical safety, waste management, and biosafety.

If you or your supervisee(s) work with:

Infectious Biological Agents or Select Agent Biological Toxins

• Biosafety training for use of Infectious Biological Agents in research is required as part of the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) registration that is required for labs that use infectious agents. This computer-based biosafety training is available on this site as PDF files. Refresher training on new topics is recommended annually but required at least biannually. For labs that use viral vectors please contact the BSO for training recommendations.
• Training for work with Select Agent Biological Toxins is required by the UConn Health Center for work with listed toxins at amounts below the regulated limits. Contact the Biological Safety Officer at 860-679-3781.

Human Blood, Body Fluids, Tissues, Primary Cells or Cell Lines in Culture

• Initial Bloodborne Pathogen Training is offered at New Employee Orientation (see above). For those who may be in contact with human blood, body fluids or tissues, annual refresher training is a legal requirement (OSHA). This may be accomplished by taking the on-line Annual Bloodborne Pathogen Refresher Training on the ORS website. View the OSHA interpretation of how human cells in culture are included in the Bloodborne Pathogen Law, if you work with any human cells in culture.

Non-human Primate (NHP) Blood, Body Fluids, Tissues, Primary Cells or Cell Lines in Culture

• Work with NHP materials should be performed using the same precautions as work with human materials. Training for use of Universal Precautions and/or BSL-2 procedures with human materials will parallel what needs to be trained for NHP materials.

Chemical Hazards

• General Chemical Safety Training is offered upon request. The intended target audience is individuals who may be exposed to chemicals in a foreseeable emergency, but who do not actively work with chemicals on a daily basis. This training is not required for anyone who has taken the Laboratory Safety Training.
• For persons working with FORMALDEHYDE above 0.1 parts per million (ppm) air concentration, as determined by an industrial hygiene survey conducted by the ORS, training about formaldehyde is mandated under OSHA regulations. This is available by contacting Patti Wawzyniecki at 860-679-3844 or wawzyniecki@uchc.edu.

Lasers (Safety for Class III or Class IV Lasers)

• Research and Non-Hospital Clinical Laser Use, contact Jim Fomenko at 860-679-2250 or fomenko@adp.uchc.edu for training.
• Hospital Clinical Laser Use, contact Gail Larkin at 860-679-3697 or glarkin@nso1.uchc.edu for training.

Radioactive Materials or Ionizing Radiation (e.g., X-ray Producing Instruments)

• Radiation Safety Website. Training is required for work with anything that produces ionizing radiation. For questions, contact the Assistant Radiation Safety Officer for Research, Jim Fomenko at 860-679-2250, fomenko@adp.uchc.edu.

Respirators

• Respirator Training is given with the fit testing procedure, the second of two requirements for obtaining the proper respirator. The first requirement is passing a medical evaluation. This is done by filling out a respirator medical evaluation form (English, PDF or Spanish, PDF) and sending it to EHS, MC6210, or fax 860-679-4587. If it has been determined by a healthcare provider that you are physically fit to wear a respirator, a medical approval form will be sent to ORS and/or given to you. After receiving the medical approval form, ORS, 860-679-2723, will perform the fit test and training.

Shipping of Any Hazardous Material (Such as Infectious Substances or Diagnostic Specimens)

• Department of Transportation (DOT) and International Air Transport Association (IATA) trainings for proper shipping of hazardous materials is required. Contact Jim Fomenko at 860-679-2250 or fomenko@adp.uchc.edu.

Animal Subjects (Animal Care Committee)

• Animal Care Committee (ACC, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee) - All new Animal Users must attend an Initial Animal User Training Class. Thereafter, specified On-line Renewal Animal Training is required every year.
• Center for Laboratory Animal Care (CLAC) - For species-specific training on various procedures contact either the Animal Tower Supervisor, Sara Fraize at 860-679-4075 or fraize@uchc.edu, or the CLAC Director, Dr. Peter Autenried at 860-679-2731 or pautenried@uchc.edu.

Human Subjects (Institutional Review Boards)

• Required Training: All personnel involved in the conduct or administration of human subject research are required to complete training in the protection of human subjects before such involvement occurs. As of June 2006, the required training is the on-line CITI training module. Personnel must first register for the course at www.citiprogram.org/default.asp and then create their own user name and password. Users must affiliate themselves with the University of Connecticut Health Center (not University of Connecticut), and then select the course option most applicable to the type of research that the user will be involved with (e.g., biomedical or social and behavioral). Training must be renewed every three years.
• Voluntary Training: At the Human Subjects Protection Office website on the Education & Resources page, directions may be found to attend bi-weekly sessions on internal policies for persons involved with human subject research.
• Voluntary Training: For persons involved in administering clinical trials there is training for the On-line Adverse Events Reporting System on an as-needed basis. Contact Dr. Gustavo Fernandez, Office of Research Compliance at 860-679-8125 or gfernandez@nso2.uchc.edu.

Laboratory or Office Ergonomics

• Training by Patti Wawzyniecki is available by calling 860-679-3844 or emailing wawzyniecki@uchc.edu.

The fine print – remember: as changes occur in activities and duties in the lab, research personnel may need updated, periodic or new safety/compliance training that covers new or sometimes ongoing work. Legally, PIs are ultimately responsible for training and safety of lab personnel. There should be duty-specific training (presented by the PI) that includes safety/compliance information addressing the personnel, the PI and the institution. The institutionally required trainings are in addition to that, and the PI is responsible for seeing that their staff attends. When is the last time your lab discussed safety or compliance?