Lab Matters Spring 2018 | Page 9

public health preparedness and response testing , respiratory medical evaluations and respirator fit testing . The addition of 24 / 7 access to medical personnel knowledgeable about the types of work , infectious agents and biosafety controls at NCSLPH will allow for focused , specific and rapid post-exposure response .

Jill J . Power , MS biosafety officer / quality coordinator , New Hampshire Public Health Laboratories ( NHPHL )

As an active member of the Northeast Environmental and Public Health Laboratory Directors ( NEEPHLD ) consortium , I have met with quality managers at these laboratories and continue to meet with their biosafety officers quarterly . The New Hampshire sentinel laboratories knew me as NHPHL ’ s quality manager , so when it was time to make visits to their hospital laboratories as a biosafety officer , most of them opened their doors for me to visit with their staff , tour their facility and go over the many resources available .

At the 2017 annual NH / VT Clinical Laboratory Management Association ( CLMA ) conference , I was asked to discuss my role as an NHPHL biosafety officer . After this presentation , a hospital laboratory manager invited me to present the talk again to her laboratory staff .

During my visits to clinical laboratories , I have assisted with safety issues and raised awareness of best practices across all general laboratory disciplines . These visits have provided a snapshot of the level of safety at clinical hospital labs . Many hospital administrators have recognized the need to improve staff knowledge of safety practices with training for all staff . In response , my fellow biosafety officers in the northeast region , along with APHL and CLMA , are planning a regional safety symposium for clinical laboratories to be held in June 2018 .

Dan Hammersley laboratory safety officer , Minnesota Department of Health

While planning for a medical emergency drill in the BSL-3 suite , the Minnesota PHL identified a gap in training . The laboratory had experienced a large turnover since the last all-hazards training and building walkthrough for local first responders . Training was needed immediately .

The PHL presented seven classes over a four-day period to 130 first responders , 15 capital security officers and 115 firefighters . Attendees were primary responders that are routinely dispatched for hazmat , fire and EMT services . They were allowed to walk through the facility ; learn about the biological , chemical and radiological hazards ; the hazards ’ locations and the type of work performed in the building . Time was allotted to ask questions about the facility and voice concerns about responding to an emergency . The laboratory used the training as an opportunity to discuss a future medical emergency drill in the BSL-3 suite , which helped everyone understand the expectations of the various roles during an emergency . The PHL will use the information gathered during the trainings to develop a medical emergency drill to test current procedures to determine what works and what needs to be discussed further to develop better emergency procedures .

Vicente Zuno biosafety officer , Bureau of Laboratory Services , Houston Health Department ( HHD )

Since March 2016 , the HHD biosafety officer , Vicente Zuno , has trained nearly 200 public health partners in regulations for packaging and shipping of infectious substances . Thanks to ELC Ebola Biosafety Agreement funding , he has been able to procure training materials , certified shippers and travel funds for packaging and shipping training . Attendees have included sentinel clinical laboratory staff ; city , county and state epidemiologists ; and PHL staff . Federal funding has allowed us to offer PACE credits to clinical laboratory staff as an incentive to their participation .

Drew Fayram safety officer , State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa ( SHL )

When I first started in this position , it was not common to find people interested in performing risk assessments or analyzing safety practices and procedures in their laboratory . I discovered it takes an unbelievable amount of time to earn the level of trust and partnership required for people to open up about their concerns , and for them to understand that I am there to help them rather than audit them . But I ’ ve made a lot of progress — so much so that I can no longer keep up with demand . I am starting to get contacted proactively by both supervisors and bench staff who are bringing on new tests or who recognize that they should try to improve safety practices in their sections . They ask for help with specific questions , or to go through the SOP with them and perform a risk assessment .

My experience internally at SHL mirrors what I have started to see with clinical labs , which tells me that our “ Safety Culture ” has improved immeasurably . Many staff are performing their own “ mini risk assessments ” all the time . At SHL and our clinical labs , we have amazingly competent and technically capable staff . With their help and guidance , I believe we can continue to do high level science in a very safe manner .

Rolinda Eddings biosafety officer , Division of Laboratory Services , Tennessee Department of Health

The Tennessee Division of Laboratory Services launched a free , full-day Regional Biosafety Training Workshop in 2017 , which we are continuing in 2018 . Topics included Biosafety Planning , Biosecurity , Decontamination and Waste Management , Engineering Controls and Personal Protective Equipment , and Risk Assessment . To make the workshop accessible to sentinel laboratories across the state , we held workshops in west , central and eastern Tennessee . Attendees received continuing education credit for Tennessee state licensure requirements . The workshop was well received , with 49 participants representing 29 sentinel labs . n