Post on 17-Jan-2018
description
Biological agents:Managing the risks
Steve CoppingHM Specialist Inspector
Health and Safety Executive
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Managing safely?
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Aims HSE
Biological Agents Unit
What we do Changes in HSE Future working
relationships
Update Guidance and
advice RIDDOR
Hot topics Transport Waste
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Biological Agents Unit Has primary
inspection/enforcement responsibilities for all work with higher hazard pathogens and genetically modified organisms
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
What we do Inspect work places Investigate accidents and cases of ill health Enforce good standards Publish guidance and advice Provide an information service
Tel:08701 545500 Fax:02920 859260 hseinformationservices@natbrit.com
Conduct and sponsor research
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Inspection
All aspects of health and safety in laboratoriesincluding microbiological aspects of diagnostic w ork
w ith HG 2 biological agents and a ll w ork w ithHG1 biological agents
FOD
All deliberate work w ith HG4 biological agents
All deliberate work w ith HG3 biological agents
All research activities w ith HG 2 biological agents
M icrobiological aspects of:
CD6
Inspecting laboratories
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations
Management of Health And Safety at Work Regulations Genetically Modified
Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations
Risk assessment
Health surveillance
Information, Instruction and training
Containment measures
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations
The Carriage of Dangerous Goods (Amendment) Regulations
Working with biological agentsWorking with biological agents
Competentadvice
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Changes in HSE 2004 Strategy has four key messages
Sensible health and safety is a cornerstone of a civilised society
Sensible health and safety is about managing risks, not eliminating them
The people best placed to make workplaces safer are the staff and managers who work in them.They do this best by working together; and
HSE is committed to being a good partner – working with others to improve health and safety
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
What this means for the Biological agents unit
Key partner in managing
the risks
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Biotechnology Portfolio(old ‘GM’)
Infectious DiseasePortfolio(Old ‘DP’)
Management Team
Knowledge Centreincl.
Notifications
Intervention Section
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Future working relationships
Continue to inspect Continue to investigate accidents Continue to provide advice and support Continue to enforce where appropriate Continue to run training events/roadshows Use of designated inspectors Intervention plans
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Designated inspectors Allocated to larger centres Maintains overview of all BA issues throughout
centre More interaction with senior management and
employees Coordinated inspections Oversees BA intervention plan
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Intervention plans Developed in consultation with you Prioritisation of topics based on risk Identifying key risk control measures Benchmark inspections- agree where
improvements needed Subsequent verification at inspection Improved transparency- both know what is
expected
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Policy
Organisation
Planning & Implementation
Measuring & Reviewing Performance
Safety Management
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Safety Management “the people best placed to make
workplaces safer are the staff and managers who work in them. They do this best by working together”
Should promote positive safety culture - shared perception of the importance of risk-based safety management
There is nothing that we do as HSE inspectors that you cannot do yourselves
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Update Guidance and
advice Managing the risks
Sealability Fumigation
CL4 Funeral guidance Spa Pools
RIDDOR
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Management of Spa Pools:Controlling the risks of infection
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Health Protection Agency (HPA)
Raise awareness of the microbiological risks and to give advice on some of the control measures that can be used to manage these risks effectively
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
CL3: sealability & fumigation
SEM M. tuberculosis
Mtb isolated on Löwenstein-Jensen medium
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Sealability COSHH requires that
at CL3 the workplace is sealable to permit disinfection
Web based guidance Testing for sealability What you can do
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Testing for sealability Smoke pencils Room negative pressure Look for leakage sites
from inside the laboratory
Easy to use and simple to visualise
Readily available and inexpensive
Requires knowledgeable tester
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Testing for sealability Smoke generator to fill
the room with smoke Laboratory under neutral
pressure Look for smoke outside
the laboratory Advantage when
detecting leaks into large areas in which smoke builds up over time e.g roof voids, cavity walls
Aided by use of a dust lamp
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
What you should do
Smoke test when commissioning laboratory
Smoke test following any major structural changes to the fabric of the room
Check for sealability following routine maintenance
Carry out visual inspections as part of an internal auditing programme
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Why is this so important?
Accidental breakage or spillage outside of a microbiological safety cabinet
Breach of containment with potential for release of infectious agent
Nothing to prevent escape of toxic fumigant gas
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Fumigation operations Formaldehyde Hydrogen peroxide
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
RIDDOR Fundamental
review Discussion
document HSC Advisory
Committees Paper to HSC Final decision on
the way forward
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
RIDDOR Regulation 3 & 4 Schedule 1 para 8
& 10 Schedule 2 para 7 Incident contact
centre (ICC)
ICC Tel: 0845 300 9923 Fax: 0845 300
9924 riddor@natbrit.com www.riddor.gov.uk Open 0830 and
1700 Monday to Friday
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Hot topics Transport Waste
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Transport Significant changes in transport
regulations for dangerous goods Regulations governing air and postal
transfers changed in January 2005 Regulations governing road and rail
transfers changed in July 2005
Department for Transport
is the Competent authority
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
The Law The law means that laboratories need
to work with all involved in the transfer chain so as to be confident about the safety and security of samples and packages they send and receive.
Laboratories have a duty of care to their own staff, to the patient and the public
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Expectation Familiar with new transport Regs for
Category A/B Staff trained
New procedures for Cat A transfers Adapt existing transfer procedures to deal
with transfers of Cat B material
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Expectation Ensure management overview of the whole
transfer process Carry out a security review of the transfer
process Transfer security plan
On clinical/security and safety grounds improve Tracking and alerting Emergency planning Auditing Documentation
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Further information Biological Agents: managing the risks Appendix
1.2 http://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/
biologagents.pdf DH guidance from Inspector of Microbiology DfT “transport of infectious substances”
Http://www.dft.gov.uk/roads/dangerousgoods “Guidance on regulations for the transport of
infectious substances.” WHO
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
WASTE Changes Key points Guidance on best practice
Unified approach Further information
Environment Agencyis the
Competent authority
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Key changes The definition and classification of infectious
waste in accordance with hazardous waste regulations Clinical waste classification system using
groups A-E no longer used Changes in carriage regulation bought about by
the amended transport regs A revised colour coded best practice waste
segregation and packaging system The use of European Waste Catalogue (EWC)
codes
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Legislative requirements Waste legislation
Licences and permits Duty of care
Carriage legislation Health and safety legislation
HSWA MHSWR COSHH
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
COSHH Assess the risks to employees and others Make arrangements for reviewing the assessment Adequately control the risks Provide suitable and sufficient information,
instruction and training Provide health surveillance and immunisation
where appropriate
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
MHSWR Suitable and sufficient risk assessment New expectant mothers / young people Effective planning, organisation, control Monitoring and review of any precautions Health surveillance where appropriate Access to competent H&S advice Information for employees Co-operate with other employers
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Unified definition Clinical waste Hazardous waste (H9) Infectious substance class 6.2
If an item of healthcare waste is considered to pose a risk of infection it should be considered clinical waste, it should be classified as hazardous waste and should be transported as an infectious substance
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Unified Approach Highly infectious waste
Known or suspected to be contaminated with Cat A pathogens
Should be treated on-site prior to removal to a disposal facility
In exceptional circumstances, e.g. autoclave malfunction, waste should be packaged and transferred to an incinerator ASAP
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Unified approach Yellow stream infectious waste
Disposal by incineration Unautoclaved waste from clinical
laboratories Known or suspected to contain Cat B
pathogens
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Unified approach Orange stream
Treated to render safe prior to final disposal
Known or suspected Cat B pathogens May contain autoclaved Cat A waste
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Further information DOH (7th July 2005)
“The classification of waste as hazardous infectious waste is unlikely to alter the existing treatment/disposal route and further guidance should be sought from your waste contractor(s).”
Safe management of healthcare waste Revised and updated HSAC guidance DoH website consultation
www.dh.gov.uk/consultations/liveconsultations
Closing date 7th February 2006
HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit
Contact details Tel: 0151 951 3964 steve.copping@hse.gsi.gov.
uk