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Biosafety Committee Mandate

 The UPEI Biosafety Committee, administered by the Vice-President Research and Development, has the authority to implement and enforce policies and procedures relating to the handling and use of biological/biohazardous materials at UPEI, with the mandate to ensure biocontainment of those materials, protecting personnel, the public at large, animals and the environment from associated risks.

Membership

Members of the committee are appointed by the President and will appropriately represent the various departments at the University that are involved in work with biological/biohazardous materials.

Regular Members

  • A minimum of three UPEI faculty members with expertise in various areas of biological research and work with biohazardous materials
  • One member of UPEI Staff (technician), working in a laboratory associated with biohazards
  • One graduate student
  • One undergraduate student
  • One NRC representative
  • One Arts Representative
  • Ex officio Members
  • Biosafety Officer
  • Health & Safety Advisor
  • Vice President, Research & Development

The Committee may invite resource people, for example the Chief Medical Officer of PEI, or the Director Animal Resources, or other faculty or staff with necessary expertise to attend meetings asrequired.

Chair

The Chair of the Committee will be appointed by the President from among the faculty members on the committee.

Term

Committee members, other than student members, will serve for a three year term, initially staggered to ensure continuity. The graduate student will serve for a two year term. The undergraduate student will serve for a one year term. For all members, re-appointment for an additional term is possible. Normally members will be limited to two consecutive terms.

Quorum

A quorum will consist of 3 members and the Chair or Chair’s designate.

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the UPEI Biosafety Committee are to:

  • review, amend and/or develop policies and procedures governing the acquisition, use, handling and disposal of biological/biohazardous materials in research and teaching;
  • review applications for the use of biological/biohazardous material, and approve those applications that meet health, safety and environmental standards as laid out in current Health Canada Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines (at present, the 3rd edition, 2004), current CFIA Containment Standards for Veterinary Facilities (1st edition, 1996), Containment Standards For Facilities Handling Plant Pests (1st edition, 2007), and UPEI policies and procedures;
  • conduct or arrange for inspections of facilities, rooms and equipment; 
  • ensure appropriate training is made available to all personnel and students that may be exposed to biological/biohazardous materials at UPEI;
  • ensure that a mechanism is in place to monitor adherence to policies and procedures;
  • investigate issues of reported non-compliance throughout campus and with the assistance of the University Biosafety Officer and the Health & Safety Advisor to ensure that reports are acted upon;
  • refer reports of incidents and spills relating to biological/biohazardous materials as appropriate using the University’s Incident Report Form;
  • ensure that the complete inventory database of biological/biohazardous material stored at UPEI is current;
  • serve as a resource for faculty, staff and students, and encourage the dissemination of information;
  • maintain complete records of meetings and activities, including but not limited to minutes of Committee meetings, biosafety applications, permits, and certificates;
  • meet twice a year or more frequently as required;
  • provide a yearly, written report to the Vice President, Research & Development.