HSE & Edinburgh University working
together to manage Biological Safety
Dr Matthew PenroseHSE Biological Agents Unit
Aims
• Overview of Biological Agents Unit • Proposed new ways of working • What a BAU inspection likely to
mean for you
Changes in HSE 2004 Strategy has 4 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
What this means for HSE’s Biological Agents Unit
• Promote high standards of safety in work activities involving biological agents
• Provide assurance to the public, government and others that appropriate controls are in place
• Underpin the application and development of the biological sciences for the benefit of society
In practice
• Focus resources where we can have the most impact
• Focus on achieving high H&S standards • Risk based
– High hazard organisms– Lower hazard organisms which could
be better controlled
Designated Biological Agents Inspector
• Allocated to larger centres• Maintains overview of all BA issues
throughout centre• Range of techniques to influence
H&S• Interaction with range of staff• Help in the delivery of sensible H&S
management
What we don’t want…
“Probe after Scots student’s smallpox accident”The Sunday Post17th December 2000
“SARS spreads in China: Investigation launched into lab safety.” 27 April 2004 Nature Science Update
BAU Inspections: what they mean for you
• Powerful tool to influence H&S standards
• Assurance that risks are being sensibly managed - snapshot
• Evidence for effectiveness of wider H&S management system
• Feed into future intervention programmes
Inspection Programme
• Developed in consultation – improve transparency
• Initial benchmark inspections - provide evidence base
• Future visits - focus on improvements– Agree programme of improvements– Check at subsequent inspections
• Reduce inspections where risks are well managed and standards are high
OBSERVATION
DOCUMENTS
INTERVIEWING
“Inspection”
“scrutinising workplace controls for compliance with safety legislation”
OBSERVATIONDOCUMENTS
INTERVIEWING
“Audit”
“effectiveness of all aspects of H&S management system”
Safety Management
• Policy
• Organisation
• Planning & Implementing
• Measuring Performance
• Auditing
• Reviewing
Documents
• Notifications
• Risk Assessments
• Publications & Internet
• Local inspection reports
• Local safety committee minutes
• Local rules
Interviewing• Risk Assessment - when, how, who, why, review
• Notifications- work still within scope?
• Training & Competency - knowledge of hazards, risks & key safety features
• ‘Living’ codes of practice - “what would you do if?……….”
Observations
Control
H
azar
d
Acceptable risk1
2
3
4
“sensible health and safety is about managing risks, not eliminating them”
What happens in practice……
Controls
• Physical – engineering controls through to PPE
• Chemical– waste inactivation, spills treatment
• Procedural– Training, culture, adherence to SOPs, human
factors
“the people best placed to make workplaces safer are the staff and managers who work in them.”
Physical Controls
Physical Controls
Physical Controls
Chemical Controls
Procedural Controls
Procedural Controls
Inspections Summary
• Inspections not just about physical containment
• Provide evidence of effectiveness of local safety management
• Risk assessment, adherence to local rules, safety culture of equal importance
• There is nothing that we do as HSE inspectors that you cannot do yourselves
Safety Committees
Lead Scientists Safety Advisers
RiskAssessment, Local Rules, Monitoring
“HSE is committed to being a good partner – working with others to improve health and safety”
Managing Biological Safety at Edinburgh
Next Steps
• Undertake number of ‘benchmark’ inspections over coming months
• Use evidence to develop inspection programme to cover next 3 years
• Focus on areas where we can have the most impact
• Move away from areas that are well managed
• Work with others to try and tackle potential areas of conflict
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