HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS-1 SAFETY PLAN
Principal Investigator: ___________________________________________________________________ Telephone Number: ______________________________________________________________________ Personnel: ________________________________________________________________________________ Laboratory Room(s): _____________________________________________________________________ Animal Housing Room: ___________________________________________________________________ Location of Biosafety Cabinet: ___________________________________________________________ Viral strain to be used: __________________________________________________________________ Maximum amount of material to be stored/used: ______________________________________________ Concentration of material to be used: _______________________________________________________
Resources and Hazard Information:
Information on Herpes Simplex Virus is available at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/msds-ftss/msds80e.html Herpes Simplex Virus is considered a Biosafety Level 2 biohazard by the Centers for Disease Control. Background: Clinical materials and isolates of herpesviruses may pose a risk of infection following ingestion, accidental parenteral inoculation, droplet exposure of the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, or mouth, or inhalation of concentrated aerosolized materials. Classic presentation of primary HSV-1 is herpes gingivostomatitis in the oral mucosa. HSV 1 primary infection is usually mild (10% of cases can be severe) and in early childhood and reactivation of latent infection results in fever blisters or cold sores, usually on the face and lips which crust and heal within a few days. There may be CNS involvement (meningoencephalitis). Worldwide, 50% - 90% of adults possess antibodies to HSV type 1. 90% of infections caused by HSV-1 infections are oral.
Handling, Storage and Disposal:
Access to the laboratory is limited or restricted at the discretion of the laboratory director when experiments are in progress. Eating, drinking, smoking, handling contact lenses, and applying cosmetics are not permitted in the work areas. Food must be stored outside the work area in cabinets or refrigerators designated for this purpose only. A properly maintained biological safety cabinet, preferably Class II, or other appropriate personal protective equipment or physical containment devices are used whenever: a. Procedures with a potential for creating infectious aerosols or splashes are conducted. These may include centrifuging, grinding, blending, vigorous shaking or mixing, sonic disruption, opening containers of infectious materials whose internal pressures may be different from ambient pressures, inoculating animals intranasally, and harvesting infected tissues from animals or eggs. b. High concentrations or large volumes of infectious agents are used. Such materials may be centrifuged in the open laboratory if sealed rotor heads or centrifuge safety cups are used, and if these rotors or safety cups are opened only in a biological safety cabinet. Information regarding use and certification of biological safety cabinets and chemical hoods and lab ventilation systems can be found at:
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu//vgn/images/portal/cit_56417/28/13/290032Ventilated_Hoods_and_Cabinets.pdf
Biological safety cabinets must be certified annually. This virus may not be used in any hoods in which the airflow is directed at the user or in which the exhaust does not pass through an approved HEPA filter (no use of chemical fume hoods for biological pathogen work). Work areas should be solid surfaces that can be readily cleaned and/or covered with polyethylene backed absorbent coverings. Bench coverings should be assumed to be contaminated after use and disposed of as described below. Laboratory equipment and work surfaces should be decontaminated with 10% bleach or 70% ethanol on a routine basis, after work with infectious materials is finished, and especially after overt spills, splashes, or other contamination by infectious materials. Contaminated equipment must be decontaminated before it is sent for repair or packaged for transport. Solid waste that may have been contaminated (bench paper, towels, gloves, used containers) must be disposed of in biological waste and sterilized by autoclaving.
Solutions containing biological material must be treated with 10% bleach for at least 15 minutes and then poured down the drain. A high degree of precaution must always be taken with any contaminated sharp items, including needles and syringes, slides, pipettes, capillary tubes, and scalpels. Needles and syringes or other sharp instruments should be restricted in the laboratory for use only when there is no alternative, such as parenteral injection, phlebotomy, or aspiration of fluids from laboratory animals and diaphragm bottles. Plasticware should be substituted for glassware whenever possible.
Personal Protective Equipment:
Protective laboratory coats, gowns, smocks, or uniforms designated for lab use are worn while in the laboratory. This protective clothing is removed and left in the laboratory before leaving for non-laboratory areas (e.g., cafeteria, library, administrative offices). All protective clothing is either disposed of in the laboratory or laundered by the institution; it should never be taken home by personnel. Gloves are worn when handling infected animals and when hands may contact infectious materials, contaminated surfaces or equipment. Wearing two pairs of gloves may be appropriate; if a spill or splatter occurs, the hand will be protected after the contaminated glove is removed. Gloves are disposed of when contaminated, removed when work with infectious materials is completed, and are not worn outside the laboratory. Disposable gloves must not be washed or reused. Latex gloves generally are suitable for providing protection from biological hazards but personnel should be aware of the existence of latex allergy in a portion of the population. Hands should be washed after removal of gloves. Face protection (goggles, mask, faceshield or other splatter guards) should be used for anticipated splashes or sprays of infectious or other hazardous materials to the face, when the agent must be manipulated outside the BSC.
Labeling:
All containers into which the virus is transferred, even temporarily, must be clearly marked with a biohazard symbol and agent name. All equipment used with the virus, such as biosafety cabinets, incubators, centrifuges, etc. must be labeled with a biohazard symbol sticker. The laboratory room door should be labeled with the biohazard symbol and any entry requirements, such as offer of immunization. Animal room doors must have a biohazard room door sign, supplied by ARC and EH&S.
Emergency Response:
Spills: Small spills (less than 100 ml) should immediately be contained by covering with absorbent material. 10% bleach should be added to the spill and absorbent to decontaminate the biological material. Wait 15 minutes and then dispose of the treated absorbent as biohazardous waste to be autoclaved. In case of large spills outside of a biosafety cabinet, immediately clear everyone from the area, close any doors and contact EH&S at 8-2250. After hours, dial 8-8911 to obtain assistance. Accidental exposure: For puncture, or skin exposure, wash the affected area for 15 minutes with soap and water using a sink. For mucous membranes (eyes, mouth, etc.) flush exposed area with water for 15 minutes, then wash hands with soap and water. Contact Occupational Health via the 24 hour Exposure Pager at 214-588-6263 immediately after washing/flushing for evaluation.
Use in animals:
In addition to the above safety guidelines and requirements, the following practices are applicable to animal research with Herpes Simplex Virus: Herpes Simplex Virus may be used in animals only as described under an active animal protocol. The ARC supervisor for the area in which the animals to be used will be or are currently housed must be contacted at least two weeks before initiation of these experiments to ensure proper training of ARC staff that will be handling your animals or their wastes during any treatment or wash-out period . Herpes Simplex Virus administration and handling of virus, infected animal health checks, and cage change-outs of infected animals must be performed in a biosafety cabinet in all cases. All cages in which animals are housed even briefly during agent administration and during the period following acute administration must have cage cards marked with stickers indicating day(s) of treatment, agent name, dose per animal per treatment, and route of administration. Stickers must remain affixed to the cage card even after animal removal to insure proper handling and disposal of potentially contaminated bedding. As a result, duplicate stickers will need to be used if animals are transferred to clean housing during the specified period after treatment. Cages used for Herpes Simplex Virus experiments must be double bagged into biohazard bags in the animal room. Bags must be spray disinfected with ARC approved
disinfectant prior to exiting the animal room. Bags are autoclaved prior to removal from the animal facility Carcasses should be disposed of, in biohazard bags, in standard carcass refrigerators and walk-in freezers within the facility. If co-administration of any radioactive materials is part of the protocol, contaminated bedding and animal carcasses must be handled as radioactive waste as described under separate guidelines for use of radioactivity in animals.
Training:
Laboratory personnel receive appropriate training on the potential hazards associated with the work involved, the necessary precautions to prevent exposures, and the exposure evaluation procedures. Personnel receive annual updates, or additional training as necessary for procedural or policy changes. All laboratory personnel who work in areas where Herpes Simplex Virus will be handled, even if they are not directly involved in the research, shall be given the opportunity to read these safety guidelines. It is the Principal Investigator’s responsibility to assure that all personnel understand and are equipped to carry out any procedures that they may be required to perform related to the intended use of or accidental exposure to this agent. Laboratory personnel who will work with Herpes Simplex Virus must have completed the EH&S Hazard Communication training course within the previous three years. Individuals who plan to work with radioactive materials must have previously completed the EH&S Radiation Safety Class.
Resources:
Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health, Fourth Edition, May 1999 http://www.cdc.gov/od/ohs/biosfty/bmbl4/bmbl4toc.htm Public Health Agency of Canada Biological Material Safety Data Sheets http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/msds-ftss/index.html
Statement of Responsibility:
As Principal Investigator, I understand that I have the responsibility to assure that my laboratory is operated in a safe manner and that all staff and students are informed of the risk, appropriately wear protective equipment, and are adequately trained. I will assure that all students and staff working in my laboratory receive orientation to our Safety Plan(s) and associated training. I understand that I am responsible for assuring that my laboratory is in compliance with all federal, state and local laws and regulations. I will comply with shipping requirements for hazardous materials, including recombinant DNA molecules. Additionally, I am responsible for adhering to UTSWMC procedures for handling accidental spills and personal contamination. I will report any problem and/or significant research-related accident or illness to Environmental, Health and Safety, and will complete required forms in the event of an incident or injury. I further understand I must contact EH&S and obtain approval prior to instituting any changes in my safety plan(s).
_______________________________________________ Principal Investigator Signature
_______________________________________________ Date
Last updated 12/29/06