Past events & courses

From minor lab mishaps to large accidents, biosafety professionals have a pivotal role in minimizing unwanted effects of biological agents when normal biosafety or biosecurity operational controls fail. The course introduces participants to emergency management and its key components (preparedness, response, contingency, crisis management, recovery and investigation). Assessment of credible emergency scenarios and integration of bio-risks in emergency plans should enable an organization to prepare (actors, infrastructure & equipment, procedures, business continuity and communication) for a reasonable response proportionate to the scale and nature of the emergency. Effective testing, communication and training approaches, including emergency exercises and simulations, will be discussed.

This two day practical course provides a comprehensive and sound practical introduction to auditing. The course takes participants through the principles, recognized best practices and essential techniques of (HSE / biosafety) auditing. It provides them with guidance on planning and performing of an audit in line with international standards. The course will combine elements previously covered in the one day EBSA pre-conference courses "Biosafety audits and inspections - a basic course" and "Auditing - beyond the basics". Newly introduced feature will include the opportunity for delegates to take part in a "mock audit" of a laboratory facility.

Recent breaches of biosafety and biosecurity have emphasised that systematic management failure is normally the root cause of accidents and incidents with biological agents and toxins. Adopting the CWA 15793 can help organisations manage these risks.

This 1-day course builds on the basic auditing workshop which has been delivered in connection with previous EBSA conferences although prior participation in that course is not essential. Participants will be assigned to groups which will be provided with a scenario from which they will be asked to elaborate pre-audit questionnaires, prepare introductory and closing sessions and draft a management summary of an audit report.

This one day course will give understanding of different aspects of decontamination. An interactive workshop combining theory and practical examples covering decon methods for micro-organisms of all risk groups, with particular focus on level 3, suitable for laboratory managers and biosafety officers in charge of microbiological labs or animal houses.

The course will consist of a short theoretical introduction to design, maintenance, calibration and working. In this course students will work according to a 'practical approach';

This course will give an overview of the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in BSL2 and BSL3 laboratories. But will very much be focused on practical experience with different sorts of PPE. Thecourse will concentrate on how to choose adequate PPE (gloves, safety glasses, lab coats, respiratory protection, etc.) for different purposes. This day we will give the trainees an opportunity to try and to test hands-on various examples of PPE under the supervision of experienced trainers. We will also go through how to perform fit-testing of respirators.

This course will present the concepts, envisage technical options and examine the safety and project management issues related to planning of the construction of BSL2 and BSL3 facilities. The approach, starting from establishing the users' requirements, will emphasize the importance of an initial risk assessment, needed to define the scope and concept of the project.

You don't teach a child how to swim with PowerPoint, so why do we spend so much time training people with PowerPoint? We must acknowledge that training does not end with the transfer of a standard operating procedure.