The National University of Singapore (NUS) Biological Safety Programme is established to protect the safety and health of the University staff, students and visitors from exposure to hazards associated with materials of biological origin. The NUS Biological Safety Programme comprises of laboratory biorisk management, medical surveillance and regulatory compliance for the possession and import of biological materials according to national regulations.

The Office of Risk Management and Compliance (ORMC) provides oversight and implementation of the Biological Safety Programme in NUS. ORMC serves the University to provide support to the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), serves as a liaison with all faculties/schools, departments, research institutes/centres and external agencies in the ongoing implementation of the University’s Biological Safety Programme.

Please contact the following personnel pertaining to the NUS Biological Safety Programme:

For more information of NUS Biological Safety Programme, please refer to the following:

FAQs

Q1 : How do I know that the biological material I am working with is a regulated material?
Ans : Refer to the NUS Laboratory Biorisk Management Manual Chapter 2 for information on how to determine whether the biological material is regulated by the Singapore authorities/advisory committee such as Ministry of Health (MOH), National Parks Board (NParks), National Environment Agency (NEA), Genetic Modification Advisory Committee (GMAC), etc.

Q2 : Do I need approval for working with lentivirus vectors?
Ans : Lentivirus vectors are regulated under the Biological Agents and Toxins Act (BATA) by MOH and are classified as either “advanced” generation lentivirus vectors under Fourth Schedule biological agents or as “non-advanced” generation lentivirus vectors under First Schedule Part I biological agents. Refer to the FAQs on Working with Lentiviral Vector Systems as well as NUS Laboratory Biorisk Management Manual , Section 9.1.4 on Lentivirus Vectors, for information on the necessary approvals required. Please note that prior approval from MOH is required for possession of “non-advanced” generation lentivirus vectors.

Q3 : How can I find out more about the hazards of particular infectious agents?
Ans : You may refer to the Public Health Agency of Canada-Infectious Diseases to find out more about the infectious agents and recommendations for work involving these agents in a laboratory setting i.e. causes of the disease, symptoms, risks, treatment, prevention and disease monitoring.

Q4 : I need to transport biological sample (i) within the building, (ii) within the campus, (iii) within Singapore or (iv) overseas. What do I need to do?
Ans : Please refer to the NUS Laboratory Biorisk Management Manual Chapter 8 on Transportation for requirements on packaging and transportation.

Q5 : Do I need to use N95 respirators when dealing with any/ all biological hazards?
Ans : You will need to perform an activity-based risk assessment (RA) involving the biological hazard you are dealing with. If the possible accident/ill health identified in the RA is infection via the respiratory system, respirators such as N95 is recommended against inhalation exposure for particles as small as 2.5nm. Refer to the NUS respiratory protection programme .

Q6 : Do surgical masks offer effective protection against biological hazards in the lab?
Ans : Surgical masks do not offer adequate filtering to provide respiratory protection to the wearer. They provide a physical barrier and reduce the risk of splashes or sprays of blood, bodily fluids, secretions and excretions from reaching the wearer's mouth and nose, but it does not protect the wearer from inhaling airborne bacteria or virus particles. On the other hand, respirator such as N95 offers effective respiratory protection against airborne bacteria or virus particles.

Q7 : My cell culture supernatant has been contaminated with a cytotoxic drug. Can I still dispose it down the sink after disinfection?
Ans : No, cytotoxic waste is a toxic industrial waste governed under the Environmental Public Health (Toxic Industrial Waste) Regulations, and shall not be disposed down the sink. The disinfected waste shall be collected and disposed via a licensed toxic industrial waste collector. Follow the guidelines for disposal of cytotoxic waste as outlined in the NUS Laboratory Chemical Safety Manual , Section 7.7 on Chemical Waste Disposal.

Q8 : How do I know whether the biological materials that I have are classified as poliovirus potentially infectious materials (PV PIMs) and must I comply with the NUS Risk Mitigation Plan for Oral Poliovirus Vaccine/Sabin Type 2 PIMs?
Ans : Any faecal, respiratory secretion or concentrated sewage samples collected in the community and stored by a facility are considered as Poliovirus Potentially Infectious Materials (PV PIMs), including saliva and oral swab which are classified as respiratory tract samples under “nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal and other upper respiratory tract secretions”. NUS laboratories/facilities in possession of and/or handling Oral Poliovirus Vaccine/Sabin Type 2 PIMs shall comply with the requirements in the NUS Risk Mitigation Plan for Oral Poliovirus Vaccine/Sabin Type 2 PIMs that correspond to the risk level assessed for work involving such materials. Please refer to more information available at the webpage on Poliovirus Infectious Materials (PV IMs) & Potentially Infectious Materials (PV PIMs) .