What do the biological project registration documents in use at your facility cover? Are project registrations required for work utilizing recombinant DNA technology only, or are they required for all proposed work with biological agents?
It is prudent to conduct a thorough review of all biological agents in use, and implementing a project registration process prompts the review prior to the work being initiated. If your current program only includes project registrations for the use of rDNA technology to be reviewed by the Institutional Biosafety Committee, consider expanding the project registration process. A full IBC review may not be necessary, but the biosafety officer, safety committee, or other select group of safety officers could be involved in the review of the additional registrations. This is particularly useful in settings where there is not an active biological inventory being maintained.
There may be resistance to the idea initially, but implementation of a complete biological agent project registration program helps ensure that thorough risk assessments are conducted and the biosafety program is on target. This in turn keeps everyone working in a safe environment in the long run!