Researchers Encouraged to Mark 2018 Biosafety Month in Labs

The Biosafety Office in the Department of Environmental Safety, Sustainability and Risk is encouraging the university’s research community to focus on biological safety in their labs during Biosafety Month in October.

The fifth annual campaign run by the American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) International promotes awareness of the daily, yet important tasks that create standards of excellence in research. It also seeks to demonstrate how a unified commitment of creating and fostering a culture of safety is what makes the UMD research community a continuing success.

This year’s theme is “promoting a culture of biosafety and responsibility,” and the Biosafety Office recommends a number of small, but impactful actions that researchers can take to support Biosafety Month. These include ensuring the emergency contact information is correct on lab door signs, submitting a biological waste pickup ticket if your “sharps” containers are more than three-quarters full; checking biological and chemical spill kits for missing or expired items; scheduling a lab fridge cleanout day; and testing your eyewash.

ABSA International encourages researchers to capture biosafety in action this month. Staff, faculty and students can highlight an activity demonstrating their lab’s commitment to promoting a culture of biosafety and responsibility on social media using the hashtag #GetYourCultureOn. Those who send an email or photo to biosafety@umd.edu will be eligible for a prize.

Find weekly announcements about Biosafety Month here.