appropriate to detect physiological changes. The surveillance 
system should also maintain accurate records on incidence of 
illness among all recombinant research personnel , all incidents 
of accidents , spills and recombinant organism releases , and the 
location and conditions of recombinant DNA organism containment. 
These records will be particularly important if it should become 
necessary to establish legal liability at a future date in case 
of an accident or sickness. No N.I.H. grant should be awarded 
until an adequate plan of medical monitoring and record keeping is 
prepared. A central clearinghouse should be established at the 
federal level to which copies of all medical surveillance plans 
and records should be filed. Such a clearinghouse containing 
records of all recombinant organisms , accident reports , and 
medical records would be invaluable in ascertaining biohazard 
risks from recombinant research , and establishing safety records 
of particular laboratories and containment methods. In the 
event a hazard is detected, other institutions working with 
similar organisms could be quickly notified. A central record- 
keeping center would also provide important statistical and 
epidemiological information for future studies. 
Detailed emergency plans should be drawn up by the 
biohazards officer and the IBC for each recombinant DNA project. 
Such plans should be submitted to the N.I.H. for approval 
along with the grant application and be stored in the central 
clearinghouse . 
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