What is the purpose of a biological risk assessment?

2 How to conduct a BRA?

A BRA consists of four main steps: hazard identification, hazard characterization, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. In the first step, you need to identify the biological agents that are present or used in your laboratory and their sources, forms, and quantities. In the second step, you need to characterize the hazards based on their pathogenicity, virulence, transmissibility, stability, and potential to cause adverse effects. In the third step, you need to assess the exposure scenarios based on the activities, procedures, equipment, personnel, and environment of your laboratory. In the fourth step, you need to characterize the risk based on the likelihood and severity of the exposure and the availability and effectiveness of the biosafety measures.

3 What are biosafety measures?

Biosafety measures are the actions and practices that aim to prevent or reduce the exposure to biological hazards and protect the health and safety of the laboratory workers and the environment. They include the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), engineering controls, administrative controls, and standard operating procedures (SOPs). Biosafety measures are classified into four levels (BSL-1 to BSL-4) according to the degree of risk posed by the biological agents and the required containment and protection.

4 What are the benefits of a BRA?

A BRA is a useful tool that helps you to identify and manage the biological risks in your laboratory. By conducting a BRA, you can enhance the biosafety and biosecurity of your laboratory, comply with relevant laws and regulations, improve the quality and reliability of your results, promote ethical use of biological resources, and educate and train your staff on best practices. All of these measures will help to prevent accidents, incidents, and outbreaks in the laboratory.

5 How to update and review a BRA?

A BRA is not a one-time activity; instead, it requires regular updating and reviewing. Whenever there are changes in your laboratory, such as new or modified biological agents, activities, biosafety measures, hazards, risks or incidents, you should update and review your BRA. This will help you ensure that your biosafety measures are adequate, effective, and appropriate for your laboratory.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?