Curriculum Biosafety

In comparison to other safety sectors such as radiation or chemical safety, the options for continuing education in biological safety are somewhat limited. Since 1999, the Ordinance on the Contained Use of Organisms (Containment Ordinance, CO) and the ordinance on occupational safety in biotechnology (SAMV) have stipulated that any activity involving genetically modified or pathogenic organisms be supervised by a person responsible for all aspects of biological safety, the biosafety officer (BSO). The tasks of a BSO can be difficult: He / she serves as information agent for all biosafety questions from colleagues or the management as well as from external authorities. The ideal BSO has therefore a higher professional education, if possible with a university degree, extensive laboratory experience, knowledge of all aspects of biosafety, negotiating skills and authoritiy. Over a decade the Curriculum Biosafety established many attractive biosafety courses. The success of the courses is due to a big extent to the high competence of the involved biosafety experts / lecturers. In a joined project, the FOEN and FOPH have now formalised the organisation of the Curriculum Biosafety (together with the input of the FCEB and the Suva).