Biosafety professional course
As a biosafety professional, you have many responsibilities. This course will cover many of the core competencies required to become a biosafety officer. As a laboratory manger, you need to understand biorisk management to ensure your laboratory is in compliance with regulations and best practices. This course will cover many of the fundamental aspects of biosafety and biosecurity that encompass biorisk management.
Working safely and securely is required in any biomedical facility containing biological infectious agents. You have an obligation to surround yourself with the knowledge contained in this course.
Professional
Biorisk manager, biosafety officer, laboratory manager, principle investigator, research leader, responsible official.
46 videos
There are 20 lessons in this course, each contains several videos explaining the concepts behind the topic of the module.
32 hours
Like any University course, each video is a one hour lecture with additional reading, exercises and tests.
Work safely
As the person responsible for the safety and security of the biomedical facility, you must be knowledgeable in biorisk management.
Course outline
Lesson
1
Why biosafety & biosecurity is important
ᐅ Introduction – The threat is real (12:48)
ᐅ Reason #1 – Keeping you and your family safe (7:07)
ᐅ Reason #2 – Preventing contamination of the environment (5:10)
ᐅ Reason #3 – Compliance with Local, National and International Regulations, Standards and Guidelines (8:03)
Exercise – Do some research and find out all the laws and regulations that apply to the work that you do in your facility with biological agents
ᐅ Reason #4&5 – Preventing contamination of the work product and public perception (3:48)
Read the introductory section – World Health Organization – Biosafety Manual introduction
Read the introductory section – Biosafety in Medical and Biomedical Laboratories introduction
Lesson test
Lesson
2
Risk Assessment
Hazards, Risk and Risk Assessment
Learn about hazard and risk. What risk is, when to do a risk assessment and how to graph risk.
ᐅ Introduction to risk assessment (7:18)
Exercise – Write down all the hazards that you think exist in your biomedical facility. That is anything that can hurt you e.g. chemical, biological, fire, etc.
ᐅ Risk and risk assessment (4:23)
ᐅ What influences risk — Agent-based risk assessment (7:40)
ᐅ Procedure-based risk assessment and human factors (7:40)
Exercise – Write down all the procedures or activities that you do in your biomedical facility that you think modify risk (raise or lower it). For example, growing or autoclaving the agent.
Exercise – Write down all the human factors that your think modify risk (raise or lower it). For example training or fatigue.
Read the section on risk assessment – World Health Organization – Biosafety Manual introduction
Read the section on risk assessment – Biosafety in Medical and Biomedical Laboratories introduction
Lesson
2a
Risk Assessment Methodoly
One method of doing a semi-quantitative risk assessment
Learn a practical and easy way of doing a mathematical risk assessment for any situation or procedure.
Lesson
3
Introduction to Biorisk management
Practices and procedures, safety equipment and facilities
This lesson will provide an overview of the entire course. It will cover briefly the three main areas (procedures, safety equipment and facilities) where biorisk management can be implemented. Each of these areas will be covered in more detail in the later lessons.
Lesson
4
Administrative controls
Biorisk management manuals and SOPs
Learn what administrative controls are and how they are strategically implemented to lower biorisk.
ᐅ Part 1 – Introduction to administrative controls – 7:52 m
ᐅ Part 2 – Operational manuals – 5:39 m
ᐅ Part 3 – Writing SOPs & Summary – 6:25 m
Read about administrative controls in – Biosafety in Medical and Biomedical Laboratories introduction
Lesson
5
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Selection and use
Learn how to select and use personal protective equipment based upon a risk assessment to strategically lower biorisk.
ᐅ Part 1 – Introduction – 7.33 m
ᐅ Part 2 – Hand and arm protection – 6.33 m
ᐅ Part 3 – Body and foot protection – 3.54 m
ᐅ Part 4 – Eye and face protection – 3.45 m
ᐅ Part 5 – Respirators – 5.49 m
ᐅ Part 6 – Donning and Doffing PPE – 3.23 m
Lesson
6
Ventilated Enclosures and Biosafety Cabinet Types
Selection of the right cabinet
Learn what ventilated enclosures are and how to choose the correct one. Understand that there are many different types of biosafety cabinets and learn to choose the right one for your needs.
ᐅ Part 1 – Introduction to ventilated enclosures, the chemical fume cabinet and the laminar flow/clean bench – 7.45 m
ᐅ Part 2 – Biosafety cabinets and HEPA filters – 7.22 m
ᐅ Part 3 – Types of biosafety cabinets – 9.46 m
ᐅ Part 4 – BSC selection, placement and summary– 3.04 m
Read about biosafety cabinets in – Biosafety in Medical and Biomedical Laboratories
Lesson
7
Biosafety Cabinets
Use and maintenance
In this lesson you will learn how to safely use and maintain your biosafety cabinet.
ᐅ Biosafety cabinets – Use and maintenance – 13.4 m
Lesson
8
Biosafety cabinet certification
Why it's needed and what is required
Learn why it is important to certify your biosafety cabinet, who to choose and what is required.
ᐅ Part 1 – Why certify your biosafety cabinet – 6.22 m
ᐅ Part 2 – How to certify your biosafety cabinet – 12.10 m
The rest of these lessons will be in PowerPoint format. As time permits, they will be changed to the video format as above.
Lesson
9
Facility design supports biorisk management
Facility features that support biorisk reduction
Learn the various different facility design features that can be used to strategically lower biorisk.
Lesson
10
Facility design exercise
Facility design for biorisk reduction
In this exercise, you will get a chance to think about how the design of a facility and how the choices you make influence biorisk.
Lesson
11
Biological waste management
Procedures & best practices
Learn the steps involved in establishing a biological waste management system.
Lesson
12
Decontamination and Sterilization
Disinfection, decontamination and sterilization for infection control
Learn why infection control (eliminating or reducing) the amount of microorganisms in your working environment is critical to infection control and biorisk management.
Lesson
13
Animal Biorisk Management
Biorisk management when working with animals
Learn how to control the biorisk of working with animals.
Lesson
14
Emergency preparedness
Incident and emergency response - What to do when things go wrong
Learn to prepare and respond to incidents and emergencies.
Lesson
15
Biosecurity
Understanding and managing biological security risks
Learn about the various aspects of biosecurity and the 8 pillars of biosecurity risk management.
Lesson
16
Bioethics
Doing the right things with biological agents
Learn what bioethics is, what are considered potential unethical research projects and what you can do about these.
Lesson
17
Material transport & shipping
Moving biological materials safely and securely
Learn the principles behind moving biological materials safely and securely within facilities, between facilities and between countries.
Lesson
18
Biorisk program assessments
Inspections, Audits, and Certifications
Learn why and how to do biorisk management audits and inspections.
Lesson
19
Occupation health & surveillance
Are you getting sick at work?
Learn the basics of setting up an occupational health surveillance system at your workplace to determine if people are suitable for their jobs and if they are getting sick doing them.
Lesson
20
Summary & review
Biosafety in a nutshell
A final review of all that you have learned.
Test yourself (coming soon)
Do you now have the knowledge to protect yourself, your family, and community? Do you know enough to become a biosafety officer? Take a short test and find out.
