Speaker: Gijsbert van Willigen (NL)
Moderator: Dionysis Vourtsis (GR)
Biosafety is a working area where you want to protect laboratory workers from the potential pathogenic organism that they are working with and are contained in patient specimens. Biosecurity, however, described principles that prevent theft of materials from laboratories that can be used for terroristic attacks on the population and the economy. In the lecture we will only focus on biosecurity, because most laboratories only receive and work with materials up to biosafety level 2. Only for laboratories that work with highly dangerous pathogens biosecurity becomes an issue.
Biosafety is not something without obligation for an employer and for an employee. Biosafety is part of the regulatory framework on workers protection that is included in national and international frameworks. However, the awareness for biosafety among employees and workers in diagnostic and research laboratories working with materials up to BSL2 is a not very high.
During the lecture several standard procedures and equipment will be discussed from which the risks are not very obvious. Shown are potential risks of these procedures and equipment and how to mitigate risk. Included are mitigation measures using personal protective equipment (PPE), laboratory equipment etc. is included. The focus will be on the protection of the PPE, but also the “misuse” is included. In the lecture also a connection will be made between biosafety and other management systems, such as quality systems. Also the link between biosafety and biosecurity will be discussed.
Goal of the lecture is to show that biosafety is an issue within diagnostic and research laboratories where potential BSL2 material is handled and that a proper awareness of the worker and the employer is crucial for protecting the worker from acquiring infections from the materials that are handled.
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