Looking to level up your lab safety? The Office of Biological Safety (OBS) has added two options to our campus training catalog.
Biosafety 108: Disinfection, Inactivation & Disposal includes two learning modules. Module 1: Disinfection & Inactivation was released in Fall 2025, and Module 2: Disposal of Biological Materials has recently been released. Both modules are designed for those working in biological lab environments who want to understand safe disinfection and disposal of biohazardous materials.
Biosafety 109: Microtome and Cryostat Safety is being developed and will be available in Fall 2026. This course will teach lab personnel how to use microtomes and cryostats safely, covering disinfection techniques and the proper handling and disposal of microtome blades.
Whether you’re new to lab work or just brushing up on best practices, these optional courses can add valuable depth to your biosafety toolkit. As with other optional biosafety trainings, Biosafety 108 and 109 feature:
- Self-registration: Easily sign up on the EHS Training Webpage (Biosafety 109 coming soon!).
- No renewal requirements or expiration: Once completed, you are good to go; no renewals needed.
- Recorded training: Completion records sync directly to the Training Information Lookup Tool (TILT)(NetID required).
Explore Biosafety 108, 109 and other safety training opportunities at ehs.wisc.edu/training.
by Tara Schnell
Tara Schnell, Biosafety Training Specialist, has supported UW–Madison’s research community since 2009, developing online courses, guidance, workshops, and lab-specific trainings focused on general biosafety and specializing in biological materials shipping regulations.
It’s Biosafety and Biosecurity Month 2026! Look out for more biosafety topics each week in October.
Safety has no season!
This year’s Biosafety Month theme is “Safety has no season!”
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.
Have a biosafety question? Need help? The UW-Madison Office of Biological Safety is ready to serve you!
The UW-Madison Office of Biological Safety is a proud member of the American Biological Safety Association (ABSA).