Biosafety is the application of preventive methods to reduce the risk of exposure to biological agents or biohazards, which can affect the health of laboratory personnel, the community and the environment.

Biosafety at UMass Lowell

Biosafety can be achieved by risk assessment, best work practices, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), containment and training.

UMass Lowell and the Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) are committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors by developing biosafety programs and providing training to all members of the UMass Lowell community.

At the present there is Biosafety Level 1 and 2 research on campus.

At UMass Lowell, all researchers using biological agents are required to be registered with the Institutional Biosafety Committee.

EHS Biosafety Officer (BSO)

The Biosafety Officer, as part of the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) team, provides technical support to faculty and staff, assists faculty when arriving and leaving UMass Lowell during commissioning/decommissioning of biological labs, and aids with the application process for registering work with the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC).