Biosafety Officers
Role and responsibilities
Biosafety Officers act as a conduit between their area and the Office of Research Ethics and Integrity (OREI) team and serve as a local source of expertise regarding biosafety, gene technology and biosecurity requirements.
Biosafety Officers ensure procedures and systems are in place for their area to manage biologicals and animals effectively.
Appointment
Biosafety Officers are appointed by Heads of Units, who ensure the person appointed to the role:
- has their delegated authority
- is provided with time to complete all required training, and
- is provided with sufficient resources and time for their appointed role.
Deputy Biosafety Officers may also be appointed to share the responsibilities of the role and to act in the absence of the Biosafety Officer.
Key areas of focus
Biosafety officers:
- are the point of contact for staff and students when they have questions about biosafety, Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) and biosecurity requirements (pdf)
- review OGTR applications and provide advice and assistance
- peer review biosafety aspects of OHS risk assessments
- assist with the investigation of incidents involving biologicals and/or animals and the development of SARAH action plans.
Biosafety officers:
- help induct new staff, students, contractors and visitors with regards to biosafety, OGTR and biosecurity matters
- communicate outcomes of Physical Containment Level 2 (PC2) facility inspections to management or Safety Officers for follow-up and to the HSW Committee Chair during quarterly meetings
- report any breach of compliance to the OREI (including loss of containment incidents)
- communicate relevant information from HSW webinars or updates from the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) to everyone in their area.
Biosafety officers:
- monitor local area compliance with biosafety, OGTR and biosecurity requirements
- accompany OREI teams on PC2 facility inspections to monitor compliance with OGTR regulations and guidelines
- assist Safety Officers with the biosafety section of the OHSMS self-assessment and update management on the level of local implementation and opportunities for improvement.