An overview of the NIH biorisk management program

Abstract

Biosafety and biorisk management are emerging areas of safety that are not well understood by the general public. With recent headlines questioning the safety practices and procedures at federal agencies, educating the public on what steps are taken to encourage a safe and transparent working environment in high-containment laboratories is important. This article describes for the ABSA International biosafety community, as well as for the general public, the biorisk program at the National Institutes of Health and discusses the steps taken to train researchers, report injuries, and encourage a culture of safety within the laboratories, rather than a culture of fear. It attempts to dispel the provocative headlines used by the media, through education on the process and procedures used to protect the researchers, as well as the public, when handling agents whose manipulation and propagation are restricted to high-containment laboratories. In doing so, the authors seek to better educate the public and help to create better awareness of the work that occurs in these facilities.