When an incident occurs in a UW-Madison or affiliate laboratory, laboratory staff must submit a First Report of Biological Exposure or Release (First Report) as soon as possible, and within no more than 24 hours. The First Report should be used to report any incident involving biological materials. Examples include:
- Injuries such as needlesticks, animal bites and scratches, and other sharps injuries.
- Exposures and potential exposures, such as a splash to the face, spills on personal clothing, and PPE failure.
- Spills of any size that take place outside of containment.
- Spills that occur within a biosafety cabinet do not need to be reported if the spill is totally contained inside the cabinet and no exposure occurred.
- Releases, including improper disposal of materials; escape of a genetically modified animal; or release of genetically modified plants, seeds, or pollen without an appropriate federal permit.
After submitting the First Report, here’s what happens next:
- Follow-up meeting – The First Report is reviewed by the Office of Biological Safety (OBS) and Occupational Medicine. A member of the OBS team reaches out to the laboratory within 24 hours to schedule a follow-up meeting to review the incident with them. The purpose of this meeting is to determine root causes and identify corrective actions that will prevent future incidents. These meetings are not intended to place blame and are not OBS does not collect personal health information or offer medical advice.
Incident review – Around the same time as the follow-up meeting, OBS also reviews the incident to determine if it falls under the university’s reporting obligations to the NIH Office of Science Policy under the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines). If it does, the Biological Safety Officer or Associate Biological Safety Officer takes care of this on behalf of the university; the laboratory does not need to do anything extra in this situation.
- Medical evaluations – In cases of potential exposure requiring medical evaluation or treatment, Occupational Medicine will try to contact the affected individuals. However, it is the individual’s responsibility to promptly seek medical care if necessary. Occupational Medicine will also review post-exposure protocols, relevant Medical Response Guides, and any first aid administered, to discuss any medical evaluation needs or concerns.
- First aid procedures:Incidents can happen even with careful laboratory practices. Knowing the proper first aid steps can help minimize injury and prevent further complications. Follow these procedures immediately after an incident occurs:Cleanse the affected area immediately for at least 15 minutes:
- Skin or subcutaneous exposure: Use the approved antibacterial scrub for 15 minutes.
- Eye or mucous membrane exposure: Rinse thoroughly with sterile saline or water for 15 minutes, ideally at an eye wash station.
- Aerosol exposure: Leave the area, move to fresh air, and rinse your mouth without swallowing.
Medical Response Guides for specific agents can be accessed through Occupational Medicine.
- For urgent or after-hours care, go to the UW Health Emergency Department immediately. Provide information about the materials you are working with (e.g., strain, drug resistance) to the medical professional for informed treatment decisions. There may be a UW-Madison Medical Response Guidance document that the exposed individual can provide to the treating medical professional.
- After providing first aid and informing the PI/Supervisor, seek follow-up evaluation based on the injury or exposure.
- After initial care or non-urgent incidents, call Occupational Medicine at 608-265-5610 to discuss any further follow-up needed.
Please note that the First Report does not replace injury reports for Workers’ Compensation claims. For information and instructions on Workers’ Compensation, please visit the Risk Management website.
Employees who sustain a work-related injury or illness are encouraged to complete the Employee Work Injury and Illness Report, which is used for workers’ compensation claims or any time an injury/illness occurs on the job for a UW–Madison employee.
by Andrea Ladd and Jennifer Kobesko
Andrea Ladd is the Director of Biological Safety – Biological Safety Officer. She joined EHS in 2016 and oversees the Office of Biological Safety, including IBC and Laboratory Operations, Animal Research Safety, Select Agent/DURC Program, and Biocontainment Program.
Jennifer Kobesko, a Certified Occupational Health Nurse, has been part of the Occupational Medicine team since 2014. She delivers specialized nursing care to university employees, including those in research settings, through pre-exposure services and post-exposure assessments tailored to their unique work environments.
It’s Biosafety and Biosecurity Month 2025! Look out for more biosafety topics each week in October.
This year’s Biosafety Month theme is Safety from Start to Finish.
Learn about the latest biological safety updates that impact labs like yours on the UW–Madison campus, and print the flyer to help spread the word.
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The UW-Madison Office of Biological Safety is a proud member of the American Biological Safety Association (ABSA).