Certificate Program for Biosafety Professionals

Certificate Program for Biosafety Professionals

If we build it will they come? or…

Why do we get up in the morning?

Tom Walus, BSc, MLT Program Manager, Biosafety

ICID


• Two more Ebola deaths reported in Guinea(WHO, May 8, 2014)

• CDC notes effort to curb top neglected parasitic infections(CDC, May 8, 2014)

• CDC reports another Salmonella outbreak linked to live chickens(CDC, May 8, 2014)

• US detects 2nd MERS case; Saudi Arabia has 18 more(CIDRAP News, May 12, 2014)





• Deadly pig virus results in increase in pork prices and lighter bacon packages (TWN news)

– Wednesday, May 7, 2014, 9:36 AM - Fewer slices of bacon per package. Canadians may notice changes in their favourite breakfast foods following a recent spike in pork prices.

– The rising costs are a result of a deadly virus, known as the porcine epidemic diarrhea. It causes severe diarrhea in newborn piglets, which then die from dehydration.

– The outbreak has killed millions of pigs in the U.S. over the past year, impacting and essentially driving up pork and bacon prices.

– Officials say pork markets have been impacted in an "unprecedented way" and the cost increases are an "industry-wide issue."

– The virus has also spread to Canada, putting agricultural officials in several provinces on high alert.

– According to Michael McCain, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Foods, the widespread effect is unlike anything he has seen before.

– "What we don't know, and becomes highly unpredictable, is what the demand response will be from that new higher pricing," he said in a report from The Canadian Press.



• Instead of charging customers more, some food companies have quietly reduced the weight of bacon packs while keeping prices unchanged, according to the CBC.

• Officials say some packages of bacon have downsized from 500 grams to 375 grams and the number of hotdogs per package are expected to decrease as well.

• While the price for pork is expected to eventually go back down, some experts think the smaller bacon portions will be the norm.













• HPTA-Biological Safety Officers (BSO) • Designation • 36. (1) An applicant shall, before a licence may be issued, designate an individual as a biological

safety officer for the requested licence. The individual designated may also be the applicant. • (2) A designation does not have the effect of limiting the obligations of the licence holder or any

other person under this Act. • (3) An individual may be designated as a biological safety officer only if the individual has the

qualifications set out in the regulations. • (4) A designation takes effect on the day on which the designated individual provides the Minister

with their written consent to the designation or the day on which the individual begins to act as a biological safety officer, whichever is earlier.

• (5) The biological safety officer may exercise the powers and shall carry out the functions set out in

the regulations. • (6) If an individual ceases to act as a biological safety officer, the licence holder shall, without delay,

designate another individual and inform the Minister of the new designation.



• HPTA-Regulations



• Tom Walus started January 6, 2014 as the Program Manager, Biosafety

• On an LOA from Diagnostic Services Manitoba for one year (Thank you DSM)

• The mission; to develop a Canadian Biosafety program

• I had discussions and meetings with lots and lots of people!



• Public Health Agency of Canada

• College of Canadian Microbiologists

• Canadian Association of Biological Safety

• Canadian Food Inspection Agency

• International Federation of Biosafety Associations

• American Biological Safety Association

• Ottawa

• Atlanta/CDC/Eagleson





Notice the bar did not run out of

booze!





• Current training landscape

• Facility based (Provincial legislation)

• Many courses offered by many different organizations around the world

• ICID-high containment, O&M, biorisk, symposium, NML partnership

• PHAC

• CABS



• European Biological Safety Association • International Federation of Biosafety Associations • Centre for Disease Control • BBTC-Biosafety and Biosecurity training

course(Colorado State) • American Association for Laboratory Animal Science • Eagleson Institute • Elizabeth R. Griffin Research Founation • Frontline Foundation • NBBTP-National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training

Program



• Registration vs Certification

• Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP) • A RBP is an individual with a documented university education

plus specialized training in relevant biological safety disciplines who has submitted the application and been found to be eligible for registration by the ABSA Credentialing Evaluation Board. The RBP understands sufficient cell biology, pathogenic microbiology, molecular genetics, immune responses of hosts, and concepts of infectious transmission to enable them to apply safeguards to work with biohazardous

materials.



• Registration vs Certification • Certified Biological Safety Professional (CBSP) • Certification as a Biological Safety Professional is available via an

examination, developed by members of the ABSA and administered by the National Registry of Certified Microbiologists [NRCM]. Application requirements for the examination include submittal of transcripts, references and work history. Applicants now apply online and schedule their examinations at testing centers worldwide. Certification is a valuable step in professional development; the recipients are internationally recognized as having sufficient knowledge and experience to qualify as a Specialist Microbiologist in Biological Safety Microbiology (SM[NRCM]). Upon successful completion of the NRCM examination, individuals can apply to ABSA for the designation of Certified Biological Safety Professional (CBSP).


http://www.asm.org/index.php/professional-certification/nrcm?utm_source=asm&utm_medium=redirect&utm_campaign=nrcm


• Registration vs certification

• Trainer should not be certifying

• Canadian Association for Biological Safety

• College of Canadian Microbiologists



• Training program

• In-house

• Private company

• Red River College

• University of Winnipeg – Continuing education

– Professional, Applied and Continuing Education

– Deans

– Profs



• Competencies (Advisory committee)

• Tasks

• Curriculum

• Courses (7 courses, 20 modules, 4 core, 3 electives)

• Blended delivery/teaching (on-line, hands-on, in-person, serious-gaming, virtual labs)



• Western Economic Diversification Program

• University of Winnipeg

• Province of Manitoba

• Letters of Support/Recognition of Benefit

• Timelines

– Next steps

– Course development

– Wait!


Documents

Certificate Program for Biosafety Professionals