Assessing and improving biosafety and biosecurity

Written by Pietro Costanzo

The activities are structured in 3 components, dealing with different issues in the wider framework of the project

Component 2: Capability assessment and Capacity building in biosafety and biosecurity, including bio-risk and waste management

This component is divided into 3 work packages:

• WP3: Coordination, analysis, and training course development on biosafety, biosecurity and bio-risk management
• WP4: Assessment of existing capabilities relevant to biosafety and bio-risk management
• WP5: Risk assessment, transport and management of hazardous biological waste

This component focuses on the initial mapping of national and pdf CoE46 Component2 DET Specifications 20160425 (381 KB) regional bio-laboratories and facilities (both public and private) within the region, including information on state of the art practices and procedures, available equipment and areas of expertise. This mapping will enable the project team to gain a good view of regional laboratory capabilities.

A team comprised of Bio-risk experts from the region (Bio-risk Expert Team - BET) and a team comprised of laboratory design and construction experts (Design Expert Team - DET) will be created and trained as trainers in state of the art practices and procedures. The BET and DET will then cascade this training to colleagues in the region supported by project experts. This training will enable each partner country to develop its own teams of bio-risk and design experts.

Further training programmes will also be designed on the transport of bio-hazardous materials and the management of bio-hazardous waste. Both training programmes will focus on the application of international standards and best practices within the partner countries. A number of exercises and workshops will be developed to enable each country to test their bio-waste management practices post-training.