Frequently Asked Questions

What is Biosafety?

Biosafety refers to containment principles, technologies, and practices that are implemented to prevent unintentional exposure to regulated biological materials, and their accidental release.

What is the Biosafety Program at Western?

The Biosafety Program at Western exits to ensure safe work with biological hazards on campus. Core elements of Western’s Biosafety Program include, but are not limited to, the Biological Agents Permit Application, biosafety manuals, biosafety inspections, medical surveillance and training.

As a Principal Investigator, why do I need a Biological Agents Permit Application?

The Biological Agents Permit Application acts as the risk assessment for your project(s) to ensure there are adequate laboratory physical and operational controls in place to protect the worker, the public and the environment from accidental release or exposure. This form is also used to ensure that the University meets the requirements of granting agencies.

What training do I/my workers need?

All personnel in biological laboratories need:

  • WHMIS
  • Laboratory Safety and Hazardous Waste Management
  • Worker/Supervisor Health and Safety Awareness, as applicable
  • Biosafety & Biosecurity
  • Other hazard-specific training (i.e. X-ray Safety), as applicable

For more information, please see the Required Training page.

If I am a Principal Investigator, what do I need to do under the Biosafety Program at Western?

Step 1: Visit the Biosafety website. Familiarize yourself with the documents on this website, including the Biosafety Guidelines for Containment Level 1 & 2 Laboratories. If your work involves higher containment, additional resources will be provided to you.

Step 2: Visit the websites on the External Links for Biosafety. Familiarize yourself with the standards, especially the Public Health Agency of Canada "Canadian Biosafety Standard".

Step 3: Ensure all personnel have completed the required training.

To sign up for a training course, or for more information about training, see our Required Learning webpage.

Step 4: If you have not already done so, complete (or update) the Hazard Communication Form for all workers.

Step 5: Complete the Biological Agents Permit Application found on WorkSafe at Western. 

Step 6: Contact the Biosafety Officer regarding a biosafety laboratory inspection. Please note that only projects with a containment level of 2 or 3, or large scale production laboratories require certification and regular biosafety inspections on campus. 

Questions? Please contact the Biosafety Officer at biosafety@uwo.ca or x88730

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