BioCAT regards safety to be of central importance. No experiment or operation will be permitted at the facility if it poses a significant safety risk. BioCAT’s general safety policies are detailed in our Environment, Safety, and Health Plan and reflect the policies of Argonne National Laboratory. For all experiments, the APS Safety Review Process (ESAF System) has been instituted to minimize the exposure to hazards.
Before arriving at BioCAT, please look at the following links:
The following ia an overview of the safety issues found at our sector. You will be required to read this when you arrive.
Special Hazards
LASERS — Requirements for Using a Laser at BioCAT
Authorization to use a laser during an experiment at BioCAT occurs through the ESAF System. Lasers may not be brought to the APS withouot prior approval from the BioCAT Laser Safety Coordinator. Lasers must be verified by Argonne Laser Safety Inspectors before use and approved lasers will receive an Argonne serial number.
We do have an approved laser which may be used with permission - pending ESAF approval. There are also training and safety requirements you must satisfy to be able to use a laser at Argonne during your experiment.
CHEMICALS — How to Transport Hazardous Materials
You may only ship/ bring those chemicals listed on your APPROVED safety paperwork (ESAF), so please be complete. Also, please read our Shipping Guide for Users You must abide by all US DOT shipping regulations, so we advise Users to utilize their institutional shipping department to ensure proper shipping.
HIGH-PRESSURE VESSELS — Requirements for Using High-Pressure at BioCAT
If you desire to use a device which produces pressure as part of your experiment, Mark Vukonich needs to be made aware of this at least 2-weeks in advance and the equipment description must be entered into the ‘Equipment’ Tab of your ESAF so that we may check for the inclusion of pressure-relief valves and burst disks, as well as, schedule an inspection.
BIOHAZARDS — Requirements for Doing a BSL2 Experiment at BioCAT
Doing a BSL2 experiment at BioCAT is possible; however, there is an Argonne Review Process whereby experimental design, protocols, sample chambers must be submitted and approved by a special committee, in addition to the normal safety paperwork. This process can take up to 6 months - so if there is an interest, please plan ahead.
Any Users who wish to do an experiment involving whole viruses, whole bacteria, or any human-derived samples (ie. protein, fluid, tissue, bone, etc) must first consult with their Scientific Contact, as well as, the BioCAT BioSafety Officer, Mark Vukonich.
Human proteins expressed in bacterial systems are usually exempted, however, they must be clearly labelled in the ‘Materials’ Tab of your ESAF as having been made via a bacterial expression system and you must declare which expression system was used to create the protein.
Human derived tissues may be used if they are fixed. Fixed tissues are considered safe, but they must go through the review process, as well.