Assessment of awareness level about bio risk management among staff of different academic laboratories

Abstract EN

This study was designed to survey the present Biosafety and Biosecurity levels of academic clinical laboratories in some universities of Baghdad and private clinical laboratories in order to evaluate the present awareness toward biosafety and biosecurity furthermore to determine the gaps and to evaluate the existing level of Biorisk management practiced in these laboratories and to keep surrounding community safe additional to safe workers from outbreak infectious diseases in the Baghdad.

The survey was done in Baghdad city during the November and December 2016, composed from staff laboratories in (Al-Mustansiriyah, technology and Osol Alden universities) additional to workers in private and governmental laboratories (workers have different graduation background).

The survey was designed depending on Sandia national laboratories global biorisk management curriculum library (GBRMC).

Results of the survey were distributed to the relevant target audience and increased the level of information on these topics furthermore to accomplish biorisk management in corresponding with CWA 15793-2008, moreover the results have been reflected the current level of biosafety practices in clinical laboratories while the major gaps were fixed in all critical areas of Biosafety and Biosecurity, including risk assessment, standard microbiological practices, primary barriers/personal protective equipment, secondary barriers /laboratory design and bioethics.

The gaps implicated the following:  Biosecurity is not clear or understood  Didn’t found protocol/ guidance for reporting laboratory acquired infection (LAIs)  Most of Technicians that working in private laboratories didn’t receive any training or workshops on Biorisk management and relevant topics while limited training for biorisk management is available for continual basis to top stockholders  No regulatory organization monitor Biorisk/biosecurity activities or laboratory registration