Further Enquiries:

School of Molecular & Biomedical Science
The University of Adelaide
SA 5005
Australia
Email

Reception
Molecular Life Sciences building:

Telephone: +61 8 8313 5352
Telephone: +61 8 8313 5328

Facsimile: +61 8 8313 4362

Working with Recombinant DNA and Infectious Material

In this matter the Australian Standard, for laboratory safety (AS 2243.3), advises and the Gene Technology Regulator requires essentially the same containment and safety guidelines, for each level of hazard/risk. As it would be inefficient to administer two sets of laboratory safety/containment guidelines, this School will have only one set of PC1, PC2 and PC3 guidelines, regardless of whether the risk is presented by infectious material and/or recombinant DNA.

In Australia all dealings with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are controlled by the Gene Technology Regulator under Federal, and complimentary State, laws. The University is an accredited body to engage in GMO dealings and it has appointed the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) to oversee these matters. You will note the University is the accredited body not the department or the researcher. The whole University could lose accreditation because of the failure of any one department/school to observe the GTR's regulations. In this School the PC regulations must be rigidly observed; any changes, to the guidelines, needed for practical reasons, will be formally presented to the IBC for their and/or the GTR's agreement before they are incorporated into the School's PC manuals and used in the lab.

The Schools documentation for Biosafety is available on our safety web page. This documentation "interprets" the the GTR's "Handbook on the Regulation of Gene Technology in Australia" in a practical way to suit our particular PC situations.

Laboratory Supervisors are responsible for actions of their staff when their staff are working in a PC area. This includes staff entering PC areas to do non PC work. All persons wishing to work and/or supervise staff working in PC areas will have to read all the documents on the appropriate PC safety accreditation web page plus any other associated document issued by the OGTR and signed the appropriate form/s to show they have done so. These must be presented to the Safety Co-ordinator for recording in the School's training database. In doing so supervisors of staff and students in PC2 areas will confirm:

That they have read and understood all the documents in the PC accreditation area of the School’s safety web site.
They have understood all OGTR and AQIS documents.
That they will ensure that all staff and students that they supervise have read the appropriate PC accreditation documents and have signed the return slip and personally presented it to the safety co-ordinator.
That they will ensure that all work in the PC area proceeds as is required by Handbook on the Regulation of Gene Technology in Australia, as adapted in the documents on the Biosafety web page.
That if any procedure requires action which may not comply with the PC2 regulations they will consult with the Biosafety Officer to find an appropriately compliant solution.
That they will ensure all work in their area is correctly classified and registered with the University Biosafety Committee.

In addition all supervisors must ensure that all their staff/students have completed the IBC's "record of training" system. (See OGTR Documents.)

Prepared by Tony Richardson 23/01/2008
Reviewed by Kate Dixon 06/07/2009