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Laboratory Biosafety: Introduction to Risk Assessment and Managing Biohazards

Understand how to take a risk assessment approach to recognise biohazards and manage biorisks in laboratories.

399 enrolled on this course

Side view doctor wearing hazmat suit

Laboratory Biosafety: Introduction to Risk Assessment and Managing Biohazards

399 enrolled on this course

  • 3 weeks

  • 2 hours per week

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Introductory level

Find out more about how to join this course

Discover the importance of biosafety in laboratories with Universiti Malaya

Biosafety ensures the safe handling and containment of hazardous biological materials and infectious microorganisms. It is an essential best practice to avoid harmful effects on both the environment and human health.

On this three-week course, you’ll gain an understanding of the importance of biosafety as you learn how to recognise biohazards and biorisks.

You’ll learn to describe the controls in managing biorisks in laboratories inline with the updated WHO’s Laboratory Biosafety Manual, 4th Edition, which serves as a de facto global standard in biosafety.

Learn how to ensure safety before conducting laboratory research

Before initiating any study in laboratory research, you should have basic biosafety knowledge.

This course will help you gain that knowledge and conduct research in accordance with laboratory biosafety standards to ensure the safety of personnel, community, and environment.

Understand how to perform a risk assessment

You’ll develop your understanding of the hazards and risks found in the laboratory environment. With this knowledge, you’ll learn how to take a risk-based approach to biosafety in laboratories.

Next, you’ll learn when a risk assessment should be performed. Exploring a biorisk assessment process, you’ll learn how to gather information, evaluate risks, and develop a risk control strategy.

Explore control measures and a standard operating procedure

Finally, you’ll learn how to select and implement control measures to successfully review risks and risk control measures.

You’ll also learn how to use standard operating procedures and personal protective equipment to further minimise risks.

By the end of the course, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to define biosafety controls and manage biorisks in laboratories.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 5 seconds Hello and welcome to the Laboratory Biosafet. Introduction to Bio Risk Assessment course. My name is Professor Dr. Chan Yoke Fun from the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, and I am one of the instructor of this course. As we continue to make advances in the field of medical microbiology. It is critical that we have a thorough understanding of the hazards and risks that may arise in the laboratory. This is where the importance of laboratory biosafety comes in. Biosafety involve measures and protocols to ensure the safe handling usage and disposal of hazardous biological materials in the laboratory. Protecting not only the laboratory workers, but also the environment and the community.

Skip to 0 minutes and 53 seconds This course is designed for students, researchers, lecturers, laboratory technicians and clinical laboratory scientists who wish to enhance their knowledge of biosafety. In this course, we will focus on the fundamental elements of laboratory biosafety, including the assessments of biohazards, and biorisk. The application of risk based approach for biosafety. and good lab, laboratory practices. Participants will gain the knowledge and skills needed to work safely and effectively in the laboratory while protecting themselves and others from potential harm. By the end of this course, participants will have the ability to identify the significance of laboratory biosafety, assess biohazards and virus in laboratories, and apply a risk based approach for biosafety in the laboratory.

Skip to 1 minute and 51 seconds This course is a valuable opportunity for anyone looking to deepen their knowledge in the laboratory biosafety, and we look forward to sharing our expertise with you all over the next few days. So whether you are a student, researcher, lecturer, laboratory technician, or clinical laboratory scientist, this course will provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to work safely and effectively in the laboratory. I encourage you to join us for this engaging and informative course. Let us work together to enhance our understanding of biosafety and help ensure that the laboratory remains a safe and secure place for everyone. Safe science is good science. Thank you.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Introduction to biosafety in the laboratories

    • Getting Started

      Great! Let's kick off this course. But before that, we would love to get to know you better. Please take a moment to introduce yourself and share why you are interested in taking this course.

    • Definition of biosafety

      Next, we will learn about the definition of biosafety and understand the importance of applying biosafety principles in laboratory settings.

    • Biohazards in laboratory

      In this section, we will explore the definition of biohazards and their various categories, with a specific focus on laboratory-associated infections (LAIs).

    • Controls for mitigating laboratory biohazards

      In this section, we will provide a brief introduction to the hierarchy of controls used for mitigating laboratory biohazards.

    • Weekly wrap-up

      Congratulations on completing your first week of Laboratory Biosafety: Introduction to Biorisk Assessment!

  • Week 2

    Biorisk assessment

    • Hazards and risks in the laboratory environment

      Learn the definition of hazards and risks in the laboratory and their interrelation.

    • Biorisk assessment and mitigation

      In this section, we will explore the steps involved in biorisk assessment, risk evaluation and the implementation of control measures.

    • Weekly wrap-up

      You have completed Week 2 of Laboratory Biosafety: Introduction to Biorisk Assessment. Well done!

  • Week 3

    Biosafety laboratory requirements

    • Biorisk control measures

      We will discuss about core requirements, heightened control measures and maximum containment measures, and how the selection of biorisk control measures ensure that work in the laboratory remains at or below the acceptable risk.

    • Core requirements

      Let us start with the minimum biorisk control measures that are necessary to work safely i.e. core requirements. It consists of a combination of control measures which forms the foundation or integral part of laboratory biosafety.

    • Heightened control measures

      Core requirements are usually sufficient. However, we may identify in biorisk assessment that the initial biorisk requires heightened control measures to reduce the biorisk to acceptable level.

    • Maximum containment measures

      Finally, we may assess the risk and identify very high biorisks to personnel and the community, where the agent used has highest consequences and high likelihood of exposure. We will then require maximum containment measures.

    • Weekly wrap-up

      Congratulations! You have completed Week 3 of Laboratory Biosafety: Introduction to Biorisk Assessment! Your opportunity to reflect on the biosafety laboratory control measures.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Identify the importance of laboratory biosafety
  • Assess biohazards and biorisks in laboratories
  • Apply a risk-based approach for biosafety in laboratories

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for students, researchers, lecturers, laboratory technicians, and clinical laboratory scientists.

Who will you learn with?

Yoke-Fun Chan is currently the Head of Department and Professor of Virology at the Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia

Li-Yen is an Associate Professor and a molecular virologist at the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya. She has many years of experience in biosafety and working in heightened control measures lab.

Dr Cindy is a lecturer at the Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine. She has been actively involved in the training and teaching of Biosafety and Biosecurity since 2014.

Dr. Nurhafiza is a senior lecturer in the Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia.

Who developed the course?

Universiti Malaya

Universiti Malaya is the premier research university in Malaysia, committed to advancing knowledge and learning through quality research and education for the nation and for humanity.

  • Established

    1905
  • Location

    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • World ranking

    Top 60Source: QS World University Rankings 2021

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$349.99 for one year

Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$109/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 18 May 2024

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

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