Scientific research is continually evolving and becoming increasingly complex. With every new discovery the search for answers becomes more complicated, including the agents and tools used for discovery. When we think back to COVID-19, in those early days of first learning about the virus, the ability to share information, including precautions for conducting research on the virus that causes it, were critical to keeping laboratory workers safe. Many individuals within the academic research communities struggle with increasing communication to all laboratory workers so that everyone is aware of hazards in the lab.
One of the biggest struggles is that for many institutions, research hazards are communicated in PDFs. These are then filed in the lab or emailed to the PI and saved in a folder on the desktop. This isn’t limited to things like the chemical hygiene plan or SDS sheets. How are all lab members working with certain biological agents or animals notified of the hazards and IBC committee decisions? Are they made aware of all the details submitted in a protocol submission? If not, how do we change this? How do we increase communication and as a result also increase safe practices in our labs?
- Make It Easy – No one want to submit a 10-page PDF every time they need to submit a new protocol or project for review. In addition, when making changes to a protocol or project, these need to be communicated in a way that highlights what changes were made and when. By using a Biosafety and Protocol Management platform, program administrators can ease the burden of submissions for their research communities by:
- Streamlined applications that focus on answering only those questions pertinent to the research being conducted
- Auto-filling key information about the PI and Lab staff so that the PI can move through the applications faster.
- Track changes and requests for changes in a highlighted fashion to make it easy for reviewers to see what was changed, by whom, and when.
- Notify People Automatically – By using information already built into your Biosafety and Protocol Management platform, you can use built in information like laboratory rosters to identify members of the lab who are participating in that particular study. Once identified, the platform can notify these individuals after approval for transparency of the work approved and the precautions that need to be taken without the administrator or PI having to forward approval letters to each individual lab member. This is even more critical when amendments are made as well. Having a platform that automatically notifies staff of safety recommendations when situations change help keep everyone safe.
- Need to Know Access – While transparency is critical to communicating hazards and mitigation strategies, there is a need to also minimize who has access to this information. A great Biosafety and Protocol Management Platform gives administrators the ability to add or limit access to everything from submitting applications, to identifying who can review and approve, to when a PI can control who is submitting their protocols and projects.
As our world continues to evolve and scientists continue to push the boundaries of what we think we know, safety and regulatory compliance teams will have to adopt tools to focus evaluating this new emerging research without being bogged down in administrative paperwork. By using tools like the Biosafety and Protocol Management platform, research communities can focus on key issues like the research they’re conducting and also reviewing the research quickly and efficiently.
AUTHOR BIO:-
Stephenie Langston began her career as a bench scientist in infectious disease laboratories before joining the Environmental, Health, and Safety department at the University of Florida. While at UF, Stephenie worked in lab safety, biosafety/IBC, and served as the EHS consultant to the IACUC. During her time, she managed safety concerns and successfully facilitated the IBC’s transition from paper to the online Biosafety Permits module.
In addition to her role at UF, Stephenie was an active member of CSHEMA and co-founder of their Animal Research Health & Safety Community of Practice which aims to bridge the communication gap between safety and animal husbandry. Stephenie holds a Master of Science in Biotechnology from the University of Central Florida and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Florida. Stephenie is passionate about process improvement and brings a unique skillset to the team that is founded in hard work, adapting to change, and making safety more approachable for everyone.
