What are the SOP’s for handling/storing select agents/blood during/post events?
Samples should be stored in such a manner to ensure appropriate levels of protection against unauthorized access, theft, diversion, or loss of custody of pathogens or other acts that may cause unacceptable adverse impacts on national security or on the health and safety of USDA employees, the public, or the environment. Consideration should be given to back up mechanical freezers that are connected to an emergency generator, evaluating the need to have reserve LN2 capacity, etc in situations in which prolonged power outages may occur, etc. as part of a contingency plan to ensure that valuable research samples are not lost. Each research management unit should have adequate decontamination procedures in place appropriate for the biological agents utilized in order to dispose of research materials that can not be safely and securely stored. DM 9610-001 and DM9610-002 provide guidance on this issue. Select agents must be handled, stored, transferred and destroyed in accordance with the AP
