Preconference Courses

 
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2020
MORNING SESSION

8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

PC01

Leave the Bugs at Home!

Cassandra Tansey, DVM, DACLAM, Associate Clinical Veterinarian, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

George Lathrop, DVM, DACLAM, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Nate Powell Jr., DVM, DACLAM, Director, Lab Animal Residency Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Attendees will participate in a leader-guided discussion on how to exclude infectious agents harbored by animals owned by employees. The course will emphasize the risks presented by common pets, exotic pets, and backyard agricultural animals. Procedures and policies that prevent the introduction of unwanted agents from home and other institutional environments will be addressed. Participants will develop policies and procedures for their parent institutions with guidance from subject matter experts.

8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

PC02

Selection and Use of Personal Protective Equipment

Natasha K. Griffith, Associate Director of Operations, High Containment Laboratories, Georgia State University

Recent outbreaks of infectious disease highlighted the need for proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The guidance on use of appropriate PPE varies greatly and can often be contradicting and therefore confusing to the end user. Furthermore, availability of different PPE often varies depending on the situation and location.

Selection of appropriate PPE should be based on a comprehensive risk assessment that takes into consideration the different hazards present, as well as, the procedures/activities to be conducted. Often times, locations where PPE is needed vary as well, from a well-controlled laboratory environment, to a collection room or a field location, and even in a patient room setting. Each of these situations requires staff to be able to perform a comprehensive risk assessment, often in a fast-evolving situation and with a minimal understanding of specifications associated with different PPE components available to them. This course will provide an overview of different PPE options available; specifications associated with each option and will address a risk assessment process for selection of appropriate PPE for different environments.

 
AFTERNOON SESSION

1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

PC03

Field Research Safety for Biosafety Professionals

Sara Souza, MPH, CIH, REHS, University of California Center of Excellence for Field Research Safety

Jamie Bishop, PhD, Biosafety Officer, University of California Santa Barbara

Scott Patlovich, DrPH, CIH, CSP, CBSP, CHMM, CPH, Assistant Vice President, Environmental Health & Safety,

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Data recently obtained from the ABSA-International membership indicates that biosafety professionals are often tasked with reviewing field research protocols, but many biosafety professionals have never received training in field research safety. In this workshop, we’ll review hazards inherent to fieldwork, lessons learned from past incidents, and will assess risk for a variety of field projects. We’ll discuss safe work practices in the field and exposure control approaches for zoonotic, vector-borne, soil-borne, and water-borne diseases. The workshop will also help participants identify potential gaps in institutional and regulatory oversight and steps to improve a culture of safety and preparedness in the field.

1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

PC04

Large or Small the Challenges are the Same: 5 Key Areas Where Biosafety Programs Break Down

Anthony Troiano, Jr., PhD, RBP, Staff Scientist II, Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc.

According to a recent analysis, institutions of all sizes and types wrestle with the same challenges when it comes to ensuring an effective biosafety program. The common challenges fall outside the realm of basic compliance but are elements that are vital to making a biosafety program really work and to ensuring safety. This is illustrated in the results of an analysis of biosafety programs for multiple institutions varying in size and type (research and development, commercial, clinical and manufacturing) that encompass over 400 individual laboratories. The five problem areas uncovered by the analysis are: Lack of clear, consistent communication with scientific staff and between departments; missing processes in training program to re-enforce training and to ensure competency; poor information management (e.g., training records) that creates vulnerabilities especially in the event of an audit; no Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) or formal risk assessment process; and infrastructure that does not have adequate engineering controls or proper maintenance programs and where EH&S and biosafety staff are excluded from the design process. Using interactive case studies, this session will provide insights and strategies to correct these problems that can be implemented by any size institution. It will also provide instruction on how to get the most out of a self-audit. Many biosafety program managers and directors struggle with limited resources, so it is important to know where to put those resources and how to best use them.

1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

PC05

Risks and Consequences of Deferred Maintenance

John R. Henneman, MS, RBP/ABSA, Director, Biocontainment Operations, Biosecurity Research Institute, Kansas State University

Miguel A. Grimaldo, M. Eng. Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, Director of Institutional Biocontainment Resources, University of Texas Medical Branch

Many biocontainment (high containment) research facilities have limitations with funding, and maintenance budgets are often the first to be cut. Sometimes, necessary maintenance needs are postponed, or not done at all, generating preventable risks. This first of two separate classes, will discuss ways to sustain maintenance to avoid running equipment to a failure point, available maintenance options, lessons learned and risk analysis in prioritizing what equipment to fix first. We will provide examples of how value engineering can come back to haunt you, how long term planning can be a challenge without fixed budget allocations, information on defining and starting a maintenance plan, suggestions for creating a culture of responsibility and ownership for the maintenance staff, as well as how to estimate some type of maintenance budget. The second part to this course is titled “Deferred Maintenance: Development of Facility Risk Assessment”.

SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 2020
MORNING SESSION

8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

PC06

Challenges of introducing new agents and animals into your institution

George Lathrop, DVM, MS, DACLAM, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Cassandra Tansey, DVM, DACLAM, Associate Clinical Veterinarian, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Nate Powell Jr., DVM, DACLAM, Director, Lab Animal Residency Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Participants will be given a framework for conducting risk assessments and preparing their institutions for the introduction of new agents and animal models. The highly interactive course will include various examples of successful introductions and unexpected challenges. Subject matter experts will cover occupational health, biosafety, and animal welfare considerations. Attendees are encouraged to bring real life examples from their own experiences and institutions for a round table discussion on associated risks and solutions.

8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

PC07

A Roadmap for an Effective Biosafety Program

Christina Egan, Ph.D., Chief, Biodefense Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health

Joey Stringer, BS, General Laboratory Supervisor, Responsible Official Select Agent Program, Dallas County Health and Human Services

Michael Pentella, PhD, Director, State Hygienic Laboratory, University of Iowa

Drew Fayram, MS, Biosafety Officer/Safety Officer, State Hygienic Laboratory, University of Iowa

Laboratory directors and managers have significant responsibilities for biosafety. This program is designed to provide a high-level perspective of an effective biosafety program. Through lectures and exercises, participants will review a roadmap to a successful program that begins with the biosafety risk assessments, selection of mitigation tools, training, competency assessment, and annual program review. The attendees will work in groups, performing hands-on exercises. The exercises will use real life scenarios to produce a product that can serve as a reference when they return to their workplace.

8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

PC08

Evaluating Innovation versus Evolution in Containment Facility Design & Technologies

Mike Moreland, Director, FLAD Architects, Atlanta Office

Paul Hansen, Principal, FLAD Architects

Les Gartner, WSP Biocontainment Consultant

Learn how to leverage advancements in technology without incurring potential risks associated with untested systems and components. This course will review the differences between INNOVATION versus EVOLUTION of containment facility design. We will explore technologies to help make the most informed decisions when planning new, renovating, or completing basic maintenance to high containment environments. Participants will better understand when cutting edge technologies are appropriate and how those technologies should be evaluated, considered and incorporated. In addition, the evolution of existing technologies that have a proven track record, and their role in creating “state-of-the-art facilities, will be discussed.

AFTERNOON SESSION

1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

PC09

Risk Assessment in Animal Care

Jason Villano, DVM, MSc, MS, DACLAM, Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins University

Janet Follo, MS, RBP, Manager, Biological Safety, University of Michigan

The use of animals in research comes with the innate risk of accidental exposure of personnel to various hazards.  Animals produce allergens from body secretions and products like urine. Chemicals like chlorine-based solutions are commonly used for environmental sanitation and disinfection. Others like bromodeoxyuridine and radioactive substances, such as bioimaging tracers, are used for animal experimentation. Biohazards include zoonotic agents, infectious organisms used to model human disease, and more commonly, the use of recombinant and synthetic nucleic acid molecules and cells, organisms, and viruses containing such molecules. Finally, personnel exposure to high noise levels can occur during care of certain animal species or when using noise generating equipment such as cage and rack washers. The first step to mitigate risk is to conduct a risk assessment, which involves identification of the risks for specific personnel in a given situation and environment. This half-day course will provide the participants the necessary tools to assess risks in animal research. Group and class exercises will include real-life scenarios in the laboratory animal setting. Participants will be asked to analyze situations, with special focus on the various considerations pertaining to the involved hazards, animal species, personnel, procedures, and environment.

1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

PC10

Deferred Maintenance: Development of Facility Risk Assessment

Miguel A. Grimaldo, M. Eng. Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, Director of Institutional Biocontainment Resources, University of Texas Medical Branch

John R. Henneman, MS, RBP/ABSA, Director, Biocontainment Operations, Biosecurity Research Institute, Kansas State University

Many biocontainment (high containment) research facilities have limitations with funding, and maintenance budgets are often the first to be cut. Sometimes, necessary maintenance needs are postponed or not done at all, generating preventable risks. This second of two separate classes, will focus more on development of a facility risk assessment to include creating priorities, identifying threats and consequences, determining critical equipment, auditing of maintenance activities and establishing communication procedures to maintain safe operations. The first part of this course is titled “Risks and Consequences of Deferred Maintenance”.

1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

PC11

Travel Medicine and Working Overseas

Henry Wu, MD, Director, Emory TravelWell Center

This program will consist of four sessions:  General travel medicine, vaccines, working overseas, and case studies.  Key preventative and safety topics for international travel, including risk assessment and the nuts and bolts of the pre-travel consultation visit will be covered. Details regarding travel immunizations and prophylaxis will be explored, including yellow fever, rabies, cholera, Japanese encephalitis, hepatitis, HIV kits, malaria prevention, and more. Session three will focus on preparing travelers with unique risks including long-term expatriates and those conducting research and/or providing healthcare services abroad. Special situations, such as pregnancy, animal bites, and emergency evacuations will be discussed. The course will conclude with case studies from the instructor’s experiences as a travel physician and expatriate.