Transportation of Biological Materials

Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S), in conjunction with the Vice President for Research and Economic Development office, hold two in-person training sessions every other year. These training sessions are open to anyone in the UB community. If the training sessions we provide are missed, you may complete an online session given by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP).

Transportation of biological materials from building to building on a single campus can be done by an individual by walking the sample or material from location to location. In these instances, the samples must be packaged in a leak-proof secondary container. The primary container should be sealed closed using parafilm or lab tape. If the sample is a liquid, an absorbent pad should be placed inside the secondary container.

• Biological Samples are NOT allowed on public transportation, including Stampede buses and shuttles.
• Individually owned automobiles may be used if, and only if, the samples are packaged according to Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations.

• Biological Samples are NOT allowed on public transportation, including Stampede buses, shuttles, NFTA buses and the Metro line. Under no circumstances are biological samples allowed on any of these modes of transportation.
• Individually owned automobiles may be used if, and only if, the samples are packaged according to DOT regulations.

EH&S provides shipping assistance and transportation in state owned vehicles when laboratories are moving from one location to another. Typical packaging for EH&S assisted moves can be seen in the Transporting Specimens visual aid below:

All shipments made to off-campus destinations must be made by trained personnel following the UN Model Regulations (published under IATA/ICAO).