Biological Safety Training
Next annual event (in person)
| Event | Date | Venue |
Biological Safety Officers' Training Event Slides of past events can be found below in the BSO Update meeting section | 2026 | TBC |
Courses
Managing Biological Safety | |
Management of Biological Safety Online Training Course | Online self taught |
GM | |
Genetically Modified Organisms Risk Assessment | Online self taught |
Containment and MSCs | |
Online: Introduction to Working Safely with Microbiological Safety Cabinets | Online self taught |
Using Containment Facilities and Microbiological Safety Cabinets | TBC |
Laboratory Hazards | |
Glass and Sharps Hazards Online Training Course | Online self taught |
Working with Human Materials | |
Research and Human Tissue Legislation (MRC eLearning) | Online self taught |
Research Involving Human Tissue (Health Research Authority) | Online self taught |
| Biological Safety Officer (BSO) Course (Online) |
| BSO-01 Managing Biological Safety |
| BSO-02 Legislation and Compliance for BSOs |
| BSO-03 Biological Risk Assessment |
Biological Safety Officer Meetings
2025 Training Event
Updates and Hot Topics (Dr Mark Wills, Deputy Head of Department of Medicine)
Import and Export Challenges (Rhianna Yau, Import and Export Manager, Finance Division)
Biosafety Training (Dr Simon Hoer, Head of Biological Safety, Safety Office)
Outcomes from the Biosafety Questionnaire 2024 (Dr Rebecca Dunmore, Biological Safety Advisor, Safety Office)
Sustainability Concordat and LEAF (Jessica Richards, Safety Co-ordinator, Safety Office)
Sustainability Implementing LEAF, Department of Genetics (Dr Emily Kempin, Department of Genetics)
Video recording of this event: BSO Update 2025
2024 Training Event
Quick Bites and Hot Topics (Dr Mark Wills, Interim Head of Department of Medicine)
BSO training and Mentorship (Dr Simon Hoer, Head of Biological Safety)
Autoclave Survey Results 2024 (Dr Simon Hoer, Head of Biological Safety)
Autoclaves Safe systems and Compliance (Jessica Richards, Safety Office)
Autoclaves: Service Provider Support (Richard Clarke, Sychem)
Autoclaves: The AMB story (Keith Savill, Facilities Director, University Medical Services)
2023 Training Event
- Programme
- Biological import and Export Hub Introduction (Rhianna Yau, Import and Export Manager and Laura Piovesan, Import and Export Adviser)
- Biological import and Export Challenges (Mark Elsdon, Safety Officer - School of Biological Sciences)
- Update on BES Contract (Andrea Eccles, Safety Office)
- Disinfection by Fumigation (Mark Elsdon, Safety Officer - School of Biological Sciences)
- I have been appointed BSO - What do I do? (Richard Turner, Department of Chemistry)
- Updates and Information for BSOs (Mark Wills, Dept of Medicine and Chair of the Sub-Committee for Biological Safety)
The Zoom video recording of the to BSO Training Event 2023
2022 Training Event
- Programme
- Updates and Information for BSOs (Androulla Gilliland, Assistant Director, Safety Office)
- Safe use of sharps in research (Keff Tibbles, Safety Officer - School of the Clinical Medicine)
- I have been appointed BSO - What do I do? (Andrew Grant, Veterinary Medicine School)
- In-vivo resarch and UBS - Our challenges and expectations (Keith Savill, Facilities Director, University Biomedical Services)
- The Numbers and Validation Games (Mark Wills, Dept of Medicine and Chair of the Sub-Committee for Biological Safety)
The Zoom video recording of the BSO Training Event 2022
2021 Training Event
- Programme
- The Biological Risk Assessment Template (Conny Gewert, Safety Office)
- Safe Working with Blood & Tissue Guidance (Conny, Gewert, Safety Office)
- The Numbers and Validation Games (Mark Wills, Dept of Medicine and Chair of the Sub-Committee for Biological Safety)
- I have been appointed BSO - What do I do? (George Giotopoulos, Wellcome Trust, MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute)
The Zoom video recording of the BSO Training Event 2021
2020 Training Event
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the BSO training event on Tuesday,19 May 2020 had to be cancelled.
2019 Event
- Programme
- Introduction, Updates and Reminders (Martin Vinnell, Director of Health and Safety)
- I have been appointed BSO - what on earth am I supposed to do? (Sylviane Moss, Gurdon Institute)
- The Validation Game: Check, Calibrate and Cascade (Mark Wills, Department of Medicine)
- Occupational Health and Management of Biological Risks (Geraldine Martell, Occupational Health)
2018 Event
- Programme
- Using the Right Terminology in Risk Assessments and Incident Reports (Mark Wills, Dept of Medicine & Chair of Biological Safety Sub-committee)
- Crossing the Species Barrier: A Health Protection Perspective of the Risk from Animal Tissues and Laboratory Samples (David Edwards, Public Health England, East of England Team)
- Material Transfer Agreements (Jo Dekkers, Research Operations Office)
- Establishing Appropriate Sustainable Options for Disposal of Biological Waste (Martin Howes, Sustainable Labs Co-ordinator, Environment & Energy, Estate Management)
2017 Event: At The Core
- Programme
- GMO Contained Use 2014 - Changes Update (Keff Tibbles, School of Clinical Medicine)
- GM Contained Use - The Forms - Update (Androulla Gilliland, Safety Office)
- Biological Considerations other than GM - Reminders (Mark Elsdon, School of the Biological Sciences)
- Water Safety/Legionella Update (Richard Borthwick, Estate Management)
- Biological Safety Audits & Annual Biological Safety Questionnaire (Linda Hinton-Mead, Safety Office)
2016 Event: A Biological Tapas or Potpourri?
- Programme
- CRISPR-Cas9 and Genome Editing (Sebastian Schornack, Sainsbury Laboratory)
- Additional document to accompany CRISPR-Cas9 presentation
- HSE eBulletin on 'Gene Editing' and 'Gene Drive'
- Legionella (Richard Borthwick, Estate Management)
- Ebola Risk Assessment and Control in the Field (Ian Goodfellow, Department of Pathology)
- Nagoya Protocol (Rhys Morgan, Research Office)
- Biological Safety Audits & Biological Safety Questionnaire (Linda Hinton-Mead, Safety Office)
2015 Event: By Popular Request
- Aspects of Containment Laboratory Design (Anton de Paiva, Imperial College)
- Risk Assessment for Lentivirus Vectors (Keff Tibbles, Safety Officer, School of Clinical Medicine)
- Health Surveillance and Immunisation and Infection Screening (Geraldine Martell, Consultant Occupational Physician)
- Consolidation, Simplification and Alignment of Regulatory Regimes (David Brown, HSE Biological Agents Unit)
2014 Event: Containment
- Clinical Samples - Risk Based Containment (Richard Allen, Public Health England)
- Humanized Mice (Martin Vinnell, Director of Health and Safety and Establishment Licence Holder)
- Animal Containment - Arthropods (Mark Elsdon, Safety Officer, School of the Biological Sciences)
- GM Plants and Plant Pathogens (John Carr, Department of Plant Sciences)
- Consolidation of the GMO Regulations (Tania van Rixtel, HSE Biological Agents Policy Unit)
2013 Event: Non-Intentional Exposure to 'Biologicals'
- Occupational Health Involvement - the before and afterwards (Geraldine Martell, Consultant Occupational Physician)
- Loss of Containment (Anton de Paiva, Deputy Safety Director and BioRisk Manager, Imperial College)
- Exposure in the Field (Leslie Knapp, Head of Division of Biological Anthropology)
- What's This in the Rubbish? (Mark Elsdon, Safety Officer, School of the Biological Sciences)
2012 Event: Keeping BSOs in the Picture
- Tissues - Risk Assessment - Thought Processes (Dr K Tibbles, School of Clinical Medicine and Mr M Elsdon, School of the Biological Sciences)
- Keeping you in the Picture: Update Schedule 5 Toxins and Pathogens (Mr D Corcoran, Security Office)
- Handout to accompany 'Keeping you in the Picture' presentation (Mr D Corcoran, Security Office)
- Update: University BioSafety Management (Dr M Vinnell, Safety Office)
- Biological Audits: The Picture so far.... (Ms L Hinton-Mead, Safety Office)
- The Strategy for Regulating Biological Agents in Great Britain: Selecting, inspecting and what to be expecting (Dr T Baldwin and Dr M Paton, HSE)
2011 Event: What Is Expected Of A BSO?
- Schedule 5 Toxins and Pathogens (Mr D Corcoran, Security Office)
- DEFRA, FERA and SAPO (Mr M Elsdon, School of the Biological Sciences)
- The Expectations of a Specialist Inspector (Dr J Gawn, HSE)
- Competency of the DBSO (Dr M Vinnell, Safety Office)
- Biological Safety in the Department of Biochemistry (Dr M Welch, Department of Biochemistry)
- Human Tissue Act (Ms F McLoughlin, Department of Pathology)
Other Biological Safety Training:
From time to time other courses are held that are relevant to biological safety. Sometimes these are external events. Target groups are made aware of such training opportunities in a variety of ways including information posted on this site.
Presentation by RoadSafe Europe Limited on Transportation of Dangerous Goods
Presentations for Estate Management (EM) on Containment Laboratories
Please be aware that the following should not be taken as stand-alone information: