public health preparedness and response
Three Years , Seven Stories : Reflecting on Biosafety and Biosecurity Progress
By Michael Marsico , MS , specialist , Biosafety and Biosecurity
Michael Stevenson , PhD deputy laboratory director , Idaho Bureau of Laboratories ( IBL )
The IBL developed an online training module on laboratory security , incident response for regular IBL visitors , and a Category A shipping exercise for Idaho sentinel laboratories . It facilitated regional workshops on laboratory biological and chemical safety . These included an overview of a hazard risk management program and risk assessment template , proper use of biosafety cabinets ( BSC ) and personal protective equipment , and an overview of packaging and shipping of infectious substances .
In 2015 , 64 state , local and territorial public health laboratories ( PHLs ) were part of the three-year , $ 21 million US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Domestic Ebola Supplemental for Enhanced Laboratory Biosafety and Biosecurity Capacity Cooperative Agreement ( ELC Ebola Biosafety Agreement ). The agreement is designed to enhance PHL biosafety capacity , and improve coordination and outreach with clinical laboratories . With assistance from APHL over the three-year period , these laboratories have been able to enhance their internal biosafety programs along with their outreach efforts to clinical laboratories . The stories of seven PHLs follow .
IBL also conducted site visits to sentinel labs where it distributed safety equipment such as GloGerm kits to visualize effective hand washing , Wizard fog generator sticks to show BSC airflow , and OSHA-and GHS-compliant secondary containers ( e . g ., bleach squirt bottles ). These activities improved communication and professional relationships with sentinel labs and increased workforce development opportunities .
Kristin M . Long , PhD biosecurity officer , North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health ( NCSLPH )
NCSLPH established an occupational health program for clinical diagnostic laboratory workers and support personnel . Dr . Long , NCSLPH ’ s biosafety officer , spearheaded thorough risk assessments for all testing areas in the laboratory and worked with groups to determine necessary medical services for mitigation of occupational risk .
NCSLPH also contracted with an occupational health provider in January 2018 to evaluate an individual ’ s health , ability and fitness to perform laboratory testing . Services include comprehensive health exams , vaccinations , antibody titer
6 LAB MATTERS Spring 2018
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