HSE & Edinburgh University working together to manage Biological Safety Dr Matthew Penrose HSE Biological Agents Unit.

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

Feedback and QuestionsFeedback and Questions