Biological agents: Managing the risks

Biological agents:Managing the risks

Steve CoppingHM Specialist Inspector

Health and Safety Executive

HID SI4 – Biological Agents Unit

Managing safely?


Aims HSE

Biological Agents Unit

What we do Changes in HSE Future working

relationships

Update Guidance and

advice RIDDOR

Hot topics Transport Waste


Biological Agents Unit Has primary

inspection/enforcement responsibilities for all work with higher hazard pathogens and genetically modified organisms


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 [email protected]

Conduct and sponsor research


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


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


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


What this means for the Biological agents unit

Key partner in managing

the risks


Biotechnology Portfolio(old ‘GM’)

Infectious DiseasePortfolio(Old ‘DP’)

Management Team

Knowledge Centreincl.

Notifications

Intervention Section


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


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


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


Policy

Organisation

Planning & Implementation

Measuring & Reviewing Performance

Safety Management


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


Update Guidance and

advice Managing the risks

Sealability Fumigation

CL4 Funeral guidance Spa Pools

RIDDOR


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

http://www.bedsandbreakfasts.com.au/Narrabeen/Narrabeen-Spa.jpg


CL3: sealability & fumigation

SEM M. tuberculosis

Mtb isolated on Löwenstein-Jensen medium


Sealability COSHH requires that

at CL3 the workplace is sealable to permit disinfection

Web based guidance Testing for sealability What you can do


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


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


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


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


Fumigation operations Formaldehyde Hydrogen peroxide


RIDDOR Fundamental

review Discussion

document HSC Advisory

Committees Paper to HSC Final decision on

the way forward


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 [email protected] www.riddor.gov.uk Open 0830 and

1700 Monday to Friday

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.riddor.gov.uk/


Hot topics Transport Waste


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


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


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


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


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


WASTE Changes Key points Guidance on best practice

Unified approach Further information

Environment Agencyis the

Competent authority


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


Legislative requirements Waste legislation

Licences and permits Duty of care

Carriage legislation Health and safety legislation

HSWA MHSWR COSHH


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


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


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


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


Unified approach Yellow stream infectious waste

Disposal by incineration Unautoclaved waste from clinical

laboratories Known or suspected to contain Cat B

pathogens


Unified approach Orange stream

Treated to render safe prior to final disposal

Known or suspected Cat B pathogens May contain autoclaved Cat A waste


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

http://www.dh.gov.uk/consultations/liveconsultations

http://www.dh.gov.uk/consultations/liveconsultations


Contact details Tel: 0151 951 3964 [email protected].

uk

Biological agents: Managing the risks

Documents