News

Der Bundesrat hat an seiner Sitzung vom 11. März 2022 die Änderungen der Chemikalienverordnung gutgeheissen. Sie treten auf den 1. Mai 2022 in Kraft.

Änderung der Chemikalienverordnung (ChemV) (admin.ch)

Taiwan’s science academy fined for biosafety lapses after lab worker contracts COVID-19. Further details may be found at the following link.

Find a recently published article on handling Burkholderia pseudomallei outside a BSC at the following link.

The Youth Declaration for Biosecurity is a call-to-action from the next generation of biosecurity professionals to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) community, containing policy recommendations from young leaders to support youth participation in global biosecurity. It was launched in the margins of the BWC Meeting of States Parties in November 2021 and is still open for endorsements.

As we embark on this new year, the IFBA is pleased to present it’s strategic plan, “A Vision of Tomorrow”, which sets the direction for our organization until 2025. This plan is reflective of the valuable input and feedback we received over the past year from our Member Biosafety Associations, key partners and the international biosafety community. Centered around 5 strategic priorities, the plan represents an ambitious and innovative path forward and highlights the importance of inclusiveness and sustainability for our future.

Click here to read the plan’s 5 strategic priorities and how we will collectively make our “Vision of Tomorrow” a reality.

A Taiwanese researcher contracted SARS-CoV-2 while working with infected mice in a biosafety level 3 laboratory at the Genomics Research Center of Academia Sinica in Taipei, in the first known case of laboratory transmission of the virus. Authorities suspect the vaccinated researcher was infected via a mouse bite. The genomic sequence of the variant infecting the researcher matched that of the lab’s mice and not strains in the surrounding community, Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center reported on 11 December. More than 800 potential contacts have tested negative, and Academia Sinica has promised an investigation and a review of the lab’s safety procedures. The incident is likely to bolster claims that a lab leak could have sparked the pandemic.

Link

The so-called “gain of function” research has been recently debated in the context of viral research on coronaviruses and whether it is too risky to undertake such experiments. However, the meaning of “gain of function” or “GOF” in a science policy context has changed over time. The term was originally coined to describe two controversial research projects on H5N1 avian influenza virus and was later applied to specific experiments on coronavirus. Subsequent policies and discussions have attempted to define GOF in different ways, but no single definition has been widely accepted by the community. The fuzzy and imprecise nature of the term has led to misunderstandings and has hampered discussions on how to properly assess the benefit of such experiments and biosafety measures.

Please see the following link for more details.

4. Journée suissepro

Interdisziplinarität und Unternehmenskultur

Am 15. September 2022 findet die 4. Fachtagung / Journée suissepro im Hotel National, Bern, statt.

Die Tagung wendet sich an Fachkräfte im Gebiet Sicherheit und Gesundheit am Arbeitsplatz, sowie an Führungskräfte.

Die Technik und die  Globalisierung haben die Bedingungen und das Umfeld der Arbeit stark verändert, mit möglichen negativen Auswirkungen auf die Gesundheit der Arbeitnehmenden. Die aktuelle Pandemie COVID-19 beeinflusst die Arbeitsweise in Unternehmen. Die Unternehmenskultur (z.B. Führung, Interaktion, Kommunikation) kann wesentlich zur Gesundheit der Mitarbeitenden beitragen. Namhafte Referentinnen und Referenten aus Wissenschaft und Praxis werden unterschiedliche Aspekte zu diesem Themenkomplex aufzeigen.  

4ème Journée suissepro

Interdisciplinarité et culture d’entreprise

Le 15 septembre 2022 la 4^ème Conférence Journée suissepro aura lieu à l’Hôtel National à Berne.

La conférence s’adresse aux managers et responsables RH des entreprises. La globalisation de l’économie a fortement modifié l’organisation et les conditions de travail et a engendré de sérieux problèmes pour la santé des personnes actives. La crise actuelle avec la Pandémie COVID 19 a changé la façon de travailler dans les entreprises et l’un des facteurs clés qui influence la santé des collaborateurs.trices est la culture de l’entreprise où la collaboration, la communication, les interactions avec la direction jouent un rôle crucial. Des orateurs de premier plan au niveau scientifique et pratique vont présenter ce thème complexe sous différents angles.

An article was recently published in Emerging Infectious Diseases detailing the laboratory exposure to Brucella canis. More details may be found here.

The new guideline may be downloaded at the following link (not available in English).