INTRODUCTION TO BIORISK MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE

Summary

This lecture introduces biorisk management performance, emphasizing the importance of assessing, mitigating, and continually improving systems to ensure safety. Dr. Iasi explains the model's components, the benefits of performance measurement, and how it helps identify and address shortcomings. Using the Swiss cheese model, the lecture illustrates the necessity of multiple mitigation layers to reduce risk. A real-life case study highlights the consequences of poor performance management, urging the implementation of robust systems to prevent incidents and maintain sustainability.

Takeaways

• 📚 Biorisk Management involves a systematic approach to identify, evaluate, and control biological hazards and toxins, ensuring the safety of workers and the environment.
• 🔍 The Assessment, Mitigation, Performance (AMP) model is the core framework for biorisk management, consisting of three components: assessment, mitigation, and performance.
• 🛡 Assessment is the process of identifying hazards, evaluating risks, and determining the adequacy of existing controls to decide if the risk is acceptable.
• 🛠 Mitigation involves implementing actions and control measures to reduce or eliminate the risks associated with biological agents and toxins.
• 🚀 Performance is crucial for implementing and continually improving the biorisk management system, ensuring it functions as designed and meets established goals.
• 📈 Performance indicators are essential for evaluating the success and shortcomings of the biorisk management system, allowing for the setting of new goals for improvement.
• 🔑 The benefits of measuring performance include understanding the effectiveness of the system, identifying areas for improvement, and providing a record for certification or accreditation processes.
• 💡 Performance changes over time, necessitating a sustained level of effort to maintain and improve the biorisk management system continuously.
• 🚨 The Swiss cheese model illustrates the inadequacies and failures of mitigation measures, emphasizing the importance of using multiple layers of controls to reduce risk.
• 📝 Documenting and maintaining records is vital for proving the effectiveness of biorisk management practices, as demonstrated in the case of the tuberculosis exposure incident.
• 🔍 Audits, inspections, performance indicators, observations, interviews, and surveys are potential measurement methods to assess the performance of a biorisk management system.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the lecture?

The main topic of the lecture is an introduction to biorisk management performance.

What are the three components of the biorisk management model mentioned in the script?

The three components of the biorisk management model are assessment, mitigation, and performance.

What is the purpose of assessing in biorisk management?

Assessment in biorisk management is the process of identifying hazards, evaluating the associated risks with biological agents and toxins, considering the adequacy of existing controls, and deciding if the risk is acceptable.

What does mitigation involve in the context of biorisk management?

Mitigation involves the actions and control measures put in place to reduce or eliminate the risk associated with biological agents and toxins.

Why is performance an important aspect of biorisk management?

Performance is important because it involves implementing and continually improving the biorisk management system, ensuring that the system is working as designed and identifying areas for improvement.

What is the goal of biorisk management according to the BIIS pyramid?

The goal of biorisk management is to identify and reduce risks before they evolve into misses, near misses, or incidents.

What does the term 'performance indicators' refer to in the context of biorisk management?

Performance indicators are measurable characteristics that provide insights into how well a biorisk management system is functioning to manage or minimize biorisk.

What are some of the benefits of measuring biorisk management performance?

Benefits include determining which parts of the system are functioning properly, providing a demonstrable record of system performance, identifying areas for improvement, providing assurance that the risk is acceptable, and facilitating the maintenance and sustainability of the system.

What is the Swiss cheese model and how does it relate to biorisk management?

The Swiss cheese model illustrates the layers of mitigation with holes representing inadequacies or failures that can allow a hazard to result in undesired consequences. It emphasizes the importance of using multiple layers of mitigation to reduce the likelihood of risk realization.

What is an example of inadequate mitigation controls mentioned in the script?

An example of inadequate mitigation controls is using face masks instead of N95 respirators when working with uncertified biosafety cabinets, which would not protect against aerosolized agents.

What is the importance of using multiple mitigation measures according to the script?

Using multiple mitigation measures is important because each control measure has its weaknesses, and having multiple layers can reduce the likelihood of a hazard causing an undesired consequence, even if one layer fails.