How to Effectively Carry out Domestic Management of Laboratory Bio-safety

Wen-Chao Wu

2007 Vol.23 NO.5

Correspondence Author： Wen-Chao Wu

Abstract：

From March 26th 2006, Taiwan has officially brought into effect the “Regulation Governing Management of Infectious Biological Materials and Collection of Specimens from Patients of Communicable Diseases.”One of its core aims is to enable every institution equipped with biological laboratories in this nation to effectively carry out laboratory bio-safety management in a self-regulated manner. However, not even half a year after the launch of such regulation, a breakout of a laboratory-related Shigellosis infection occurred at a university in Central Taiwan. The fact that the school failed to take control of the situation at the first place indicating that there appeared to be plenty of room for improvement in their capability of independent management of laboratory bio-safety issues. Last year (2006) Taiwan CDC, through a nation-wide questionnaire survey of all work personnel (including laboratory supervisors, pathology and research staffs, and laboratory engineers and maintenance personnel) of domestic laboratories of bio-safety level-3 (BSL-3) and above, discovered the following three facts: Firstly, laboratory operators at basic levels in general had insufficient knowledge on their own laboratory bio-safety management policies and regulations which would require further reinforcement. Secondly, most institutions could not provide adequate laboratory bio-safety educational training courses and practices, particularly in the area of hardware engineers and maintenance personnel training. Lastly, most institutions are still waiting for the chance to put their coping strategies into clinical practice once laboratory bio-safety incidence does occur. Therefore, in conclusion: institution can only carry out its laboratory bio-safety management independently and effectively when its bio-safety committee functions properly. Once every laboratory has full capacity in managing bio-safety issues independently, it will then subsequently help to bring the nation’s laboratory bio-safety cultural standard to a better level.