Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Course Number:
BIT 105
Course Title:
Safety in the Bioscience Workplace
Credit Hours:
Lecture Hours:
Lecture/Lab Hours:
Lab Hours:
Special Fee:

Course Description


Intended Outcomes for the course


  1. Work effectively within the safety parameters, regulations and guidelines in a bioscience laboratory or biomanufacturing environment.
  2. Identify hazards (mechanical, electrical temperature and pressure, chemicals, radiation and biological) that apply to a particular bioscience setting, take appropriate steps to minimize risk to self, co-workers and the environment during routine work, and deal with accidents appropriately.

Outcome Assessment Strategies

At the beginning of the course, the instructor will detail the methods used to evaluate student progress and the criteria for assigning a course grade. the methods may include one or more of the following tools: examinations, quizzes, homework assignments, research papers, small group problem solving of questions arising from application of course concepts and concerns to actual experience.

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)


  1. handling and storing hazardous chemicals
  2. personal protective equipment
  3. ventilation equipment
  4. chemical spills
  5. chemical waste disposal
  6. ionizing radiation
  7. radiation control measures/programs
  8. radioactive waste disposal.
  9. biological containment principles
  10. biosafety levels
  11. biological safety cabinet function and operation
  12. disinfection/sterilization
  13. etiologic agent shipment
  14. medical waste handling
  15. applicable regulations and guidelines


  1. Identify the applicable state and federal regulations and guidelines that deal directly with chemical and radiation safety in the biotechnology laboratory
  2. Describe the process of hazardous chemical classification and accepted safe laboratory practices for the handling and storage of the different classes of chemicals.
  3. Identify and illustrate pathways that hazardous laboratory chemicals may enter the human body and the resulting warning signs and symptoms.
  4. Identify the proper use and application of material safety data sheets, personal protective equipment and safety equipment.
  5. Describe and illustrate the proper use and application of ventilation equipment when using hazardous laboratory chemicals.
  6. Describe safe procedures for handling spills of hazardous chemicals in the laboratory.
  7. Identify accepted methods for the proper disposal of hazardous chemical waste emanating form biotechnology experiments
  8. Illustrate the concept of ionizing radiation in chemical and human physiological terms.
  9. Identify and describe radiation control measures and a typical radiation control program.
  10. Identify accepted methods for the proper disposal of radioactive waste emanating from biotechnology experiments.
  11. Identify the applicable state and federal regulation and guidelines that deal directly with biosafety in the biotechnology laboratory
  12. Describe each of the principles of biological containment
  13. Identify safety equipment that may be used as primary barriers to biological agents
  14. Illustrate the design and function of biological safety cabinets
  15. Describe and illustrate accepted standard operating procedures for the operation of biological safety cabinets
  16. Describe the key components of each biosafety level and animal biosafety level
  17. Describe accepted methods of disinfection and sterilization in the biotechnology laboratory
  18. Describe and illustrate the accepted process that must be followed for the interstate shipment of etiologic agents.
  19. Identify accepted methods for the proper disposal of medical waste
  20. Identify the key components presented in the NIH Recombinant DNA Guidelines.