Prohibited Research
Hazardous Chemicals and Biological Pathogens:
Research and teaching involving the following hazards is currently prohibited at Keene State College because the College does not have the appropriate facilities, permits, or oversight procedures in place to ensure adequate worker and community protection and regulatory compliance:
Chemicals
- Use of perchloric acid
- Use of Dimethyl mercury
- Use of Hydrofluoric acid
- Use of highly flammable or reactive chemicals that, according to fire code, require explosion-resistant construction.
- Use of Radioactive materials
Biological Materials
- All pathogenic and infectious agents in Biosafety Risk Group 2 or higher procedures (if such a microbe is identified in an environmental sample and known to be pathogenic, its culture at KSC is prohibited until a change in BSL status for the laboratory has been implemented)
- Biological agents possessing known teratogenic or mutagenic capabilities, such as Rubella, herpes or cytomegalovirus or other agents that could cause fetal death, such as Brucella
- Use of Recombinant DNA, except for those experiments which are exempt from NIH guidelines. See http://osp.od.nih.gov/sites/default/files/Experiments_that_are_Exempt_from_the_NIH_Guidelines.pdf for more information on this restriction.
- Select agents and toxins regulated by the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002
- Research use of human blood, body fluids (including urine) and tissues requires special permission by the Chemical and Biological Safety Committee.
Animals:
Faculty, staff and students at KSC may conduct research and/or teaching activities using on-campus housed lower vertebrates (fish, amphibians and reptiles) as well as field-based activities involving live vertebrate animals. Activities may not involve on campus housing of laboratory-bred rats and mice, in addition to species covered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s definition of animal, which includes any live dog, cat, monkey (nonhuman primate mammal), guinea pig, hamster, rabbit or other such warm-blooded animal, including wild species of rats and mice.
Any faculty, staff, or researcher who desires to change any of these restrictions, must consult the Chemical and Biological Safety Committee prior to starting work to ensure proper safety measures and compliance requirements are in place.
Policy History: Last reviewed on January 13, 2015 by EHS, IACUC, OSPR, and Provost. Clarifications to the language made, but no changes in substance of prohibitions.
