In-person Professional Development Courses
All times listed are in MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME
Saturday Courses
Saturday, November 2, 2024
JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge
Saturday, November 2, 2024, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
5. Facilities Fundamentals for Biosafety Professionals
This course is aimed at strengthening biosafety professionals knowledge of how facility operations support overall biocontainment operations. The first portion of the course will familiarize attendees with the general concepts biosafety-related facility design and their roles in it, along with the fundamentals of HVAC system operation in the context of BSL-2 and BSL-3 facilities. Topics in this portion of the course include: the role of biosafety personnel in biocontainment facility design, renovation, and operations, understanding design drawings and related construction documents, what the relationship is of facility features to biosafety levels, and HVAC components and their function relative to biocontainment. The instructors will lead discussions of more detailed aspects of containment facilities and their operation, including: specific infrastructure, equipment, and systems related to operation of a biocontainment facility; autoclave function, waste management, associated facility infrastructure; room decontamination in relation to facility components; interactions between facilities and containment equipment; security, operations, and biosafety. Through a mixture of presentations from experts in the field and interactive exercises, attendees will reinforce their knowledge of facility system function and their roles in facility design, construction, and operation. The target audience for the course is biosafety professionals who come with backgrounds other than facilities, and it is open to both newcomers and seasoned veterans in the field.
Objectives:
- Restate the roles of biosafety professionals in facility design and operation
- Explain practical approaches for reviewing design documents.
- Describe the function of discrete facility infrastructure, equipment, and systems related to biocontainment facility operations
Suggested Background: BSL-3 Operations and Management, Fundamentals of Biosafety, Principles and Practices of Biosafety® (PPB)
Target Audience: All Biosafety Professionals, All Safety Professionals
Audience Level: Basic
COURSE FACULTY
J. Paul Jennette, MS, PE, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)
Biosafety Engineer
Director of Biocontainment Operations
Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine
Ithaca, NY
Paul Jennette holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Environmental Engineering from Cornell and the University of Massachusetts, respectively, and is both a Registered Professional Engineer and a Certified Biological Safety Professional. Since 1999, he has held the position of Biosafety Engineer at the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine and has also been the Director of Biocontainment Operations there since 2013. Paul’s responsibilities include: design, verification, operation, decontamination, and program management related to Cornell’s BSL-3, ACL-3, and ABSL-3 facilities, which include both research & diagnostic laboratories as well as a BSL-3 large animal necropsy; training all Cornell BSL-3 scientific and support staff and providing direct, in-containment support for BSL-3 diagnostic operations; directing the operations of Cornell’s medical and pathological waste treatment facility, which includes a 5,000-lb/batch carcass digester; serving on Cornell’s Institutional Biosafety Committee and directing the Cornell Vet College Rabies Risk Management Program. Paul serves on biosecurity teams for Select Agent Labs at the Cornell Vet College and provides technical support for the College’s effluent decontamination systems. He served as the American Biological Safety Association’s representative on the ANSI committee to develop a national standard for the verification of BSL-3 facility performance, is a reviewer and lead author of a technical column for the Applied Biosafety journal, and is a member of ABSA’s Professional Development Team. He is a former co-chair of ABSA’s Principles & Practices of Biosafety class as well as a regular instructor for BSL-3 courses offered by the Eagleson Institute and ABSA. In addition to his position at Cornell, Paul provides biocontainment operations consulting services to a variety of academic, governmental, and pharmaceutical clients.
Rachel Gamble, DrPH, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)
Pond & Company
Peachtree Corners, GA
Aurel Tamburri, MS, CRSP(CABS)
Director – Research Safety & Compliance
Univeristy of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Aurel Tamburri has over 25 years of progressive experience in laboratory operations, safety and support services. Since 2000, Aurel has held a number of key leadership roles with the Ontario Ministry of Health, Public Health Ontario and most recently with the University of Toronto. His area of expertise includes safety and biorisk management, laboratory operations, process design, program management and regulatory compliance. Aurel received a Master’s Degree in Health Management from Mc Master University, a graduate diploma in Occupational Health, Safety & Environmental Medicine from Mc Master University, a diploma in Medical Laboratory Science from the Michener Institute and is qualified as a Canadian Registered Safety Professional. Over the years, Aurel has managed a number of clinical and service related program areas, led a number of initiatives in process and quality improvements, transition plans and continues to build efficiencies within laboratory operations.
CONTACT HOURS
This course has been approved for 1.0 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 7.5 P.A.C.E.® contact hours.
Saturday, November 2, 2024, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
6. Articulating the Value of Your Biosafety Program
A recurrent challenge confronting biosafety professionals is the ability to garner necessary program resources to achieve desired goals and objectives. The basis for this difficulty is that, on a good day in the world of biosafety, “nothing happens”. The underlying challenge is that upper management may not fully appreciate or understand all the effort and resources that went into making “nothing happen”. Biosafety professionals in particular experience difficulty in this regard because many in the profession have received intensive training in the biological sciences, but little or no training in the area of program management. This course focuses on some key management approaches and techniques that can be used within biosafety programs to help improve stakeholder understanding, which in turn can result in the provision of necessary programmatic resources. Numerous real-world examples of successful applications of the techniques presented will be displayed for review and discussion. Ample time will be provided throughout the course for attendee interaction and inquiries.
Objectives:
- Identify various biosafety programmatic measures and metrics that should be captured and communicated
- Paraphrase the techniques that can be used for displaying biosafety data in ways that others can readily understand and appreciate it
- Describe how biosafety programs can assist with other basic safety program needs to help avoid the notion of program duplication of efforts and to improve safety and client satisfaction levels
Suggested Background: None
Target Audience: All Safety Professionals, All Biosafety Professionals
Audience Level: Basic
COURSE FACULTY
Robert Emery, DrPH, chp, cih, csp, chmm, cpp, ARM, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)
Vice President of Safety, Health, Environment & Risk Management
University of Texas Health Science Center—Houston
Houston, TX
Robert Emery is Vice President for Safety, Health, Environment & Risk Management for The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) and Professor of Occupational Health at the University of Texas School of Public Health. Bob is a board licensed Medical Health Physicist, a Certified Health Physicist (CHP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), and a Certified Safety Professional (CSP). He holds both ABSA International credentials; the Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP) and Certified Biological Safety Professional (CBSP).
Kristin King, DrPH, CPH, CHSP, CIC, CBSP(ABSA)
Biological Safety Manager
University of Texas Health Science Center—Houston
Houston, TX
Kristin King is the Biological Safety Program manager within Environmental Health & Safety at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston).
CONTACT HOURS
This course has been approved for 1.0 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 7.5 P.A.C.E.® contact hours.
Saturday, November 2, 2024, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
7. Engineering for the Biosafety Professional Part I
Biosafety professionals (BSOs) need to be involved and knowledgeable in the operation, maintenance, and certification of their biocontainment facilities and building systems. The BSO is called upon to participate in the planning, design, and validation of a new biocontainment laboratory or renovation of an existing facility. This course provides basic engineering principles that are useful in the planning, design, and operation of a BSL-3 facility and is intended to fill the gap by providing basic knowledge for understanding the processes used in the planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operation of a BSL-3 laboratory. For the BSO to participate in these activities, they need to understand engineering fundamentals, develop skills to ask questions in engineering terms, and possess the confidence to question the answers. This is the first course of a two-part series offered in alternating years. Part I of the course will provide information relevant to BSL-3 facilities for the determination of air change rates, define HVAC containment boundaries, interpret design drawings, understand HEPA filtration, provide an introduction to determining room heat loads and ventilation rates, provide concepts in directional airflow and room pressure differentials as well as an introduction to HVAC components. There will be presentations on planning, design (with a checklist), construction oversight, commissioning, certification/validation/ANSI Z9.14 Standard, maintenance, and operations. Upon course conclusion, the attendees should have the knowledge to better understand engineering issues in the planning, design, construction, commissioning, certification/validation, and post-occupancy of biocontainment facilities, be able to formulate informed questions, be able to interact with maintenance personnel and integrate facility operations with the biosafety program.
Objectives:
- Discuss engineering principles and the design and construction process of a BSL-3 laboratory
- Recall the phases and the strategies of a BSL-3 laboratory design
- Identify potential problems before construction begins
- Describe the elements of a quality assurance program
Suggested Background: None
Target Audience: All Biosafety Professionals, Operations and Maintenance Staff
Audience Level: Intermediate
COURSE FACULTY
Juan Osorio, IE
Chief Operating Officer
World BioHazTec Corporation
Pasadena, MD
Juan Osorio provides consulting in engineering with a focus in high and maximum containment laboratories (BSL-3 and BSL-4), biomedical facilities, hospitals and research facilities. In this role, he consults with clients regarding laboratory planning, programming, commissioning, validation and third party certification activities for significant biocontainment, laboratory, vivarium, safety and healthcare projects. Mr. Osorio has consulted, reviewed, validated, and certified biocontainment laboratories, mission critical government institutions, vivaria, and world-class medical facilities. He has vast experience in the high- and maximum containment fields and participates on biocontainment projects in the United States, Asia, and South America. Mr. Osorio contributes to the design, construction, validation, third-party certification, and maintenance of such facilities. He has served frequently as a consultant for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for industrial engineering issues in biocontainment, general laboratory, hospital, and vivarium projects. He has assisted in the development of high- and maximum containment government guidelines and regulations for the NIH.
Theodore Traum PE, CCP, DGCP
Principal Engineer and Board Member
World BioHazTec Corporation
Pasadena, MD
Theodore (Ted) Traum has over thirty years of experience in engineering with a focus in high- and maximum containment laboratories (BSL-3 and BSL-4), biomedical facilities, hospitals and researchfacilities. In this role, he consults with clients and oversees laboratory planning, programming, commissioning, validation, and third-party certification activities for significant biocontainment, laboratory, vivarium, safety and healthcare projects. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Mr. Traum received a considerable influx of biosafety and biocontainment projects to combat bioterrorism. Capitalizing on his niche expertise in this fast growing industry and its previous work with the JCAHO statement of conditions, Mr. Traum focused his business development efforts towards developing acertification program for biocontainment laboratories, their design, construction, operation, biosafety consultation, and maintenance through World BioHazTec (WBHT). Being one of the only few firms in the United States with a significant level of expertise and previous success in niche projects for the healthcare and research laboratories, Mr. Traum became sought after nationally and internationally as the premier consultant for oversight, management, and certification of biocontainment facilities. Mr. Traum has consulted, reviewed, validated, and certified biocontainment laboratories, mission critical government institutions, vivaria, and world-class medical facilities. He is a highly respected professional engineer in the high- and maximum containment field and is sought worldwide for his experienceand expertise in design, construction, third-party certification, and maintenance of such facilities. He has served frequently as a consultant for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for HVAC, mechanical, and industrial engineering issues in biocontainment, general laboratory, hospital, and vivarium projects.
CONTACT HOURS
This course has been approved for 1.0 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 7.5 P.A.C.E.® contact hours.
Saturday, November 2, 2024, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
8. Keeping it Going: Maintaining and Improving a Select Agent Program Over the Long Term
Keeping a select agent program going can be difficult, especially in the face of ever-changing regulatory requirements and limited resources. Established procedures may suddenly become unacceptable, interrupting research and frustrating laboratorians. Likewise, a single unexpected adverse event can put an entire program at risk. Being prepared to deal with such changes and events is critical to maintaining a robust program. Anticipating future challenges can be even more advantageous, elevating a program from good to great. A proactive approach can minimize the impact of new requirements and reduce duration and frequency of crises sparked by sudden, unexpected requirements or events. This course will explore strategies for maintaining and improving an existing program, including how to anticipate and respond to new requirements. The focus will be on U.S. select agent requirements, although a small section on comparable requirements in the international community will be included. Strategies will be based on the instructors’ experience with their program with additional input solicited from class attendees during open discussions. Topics will include select agent program history; effective oversight; efficiently meeting ongoing requirements; reporting, responding to, and analyzing incidents; suitability program case studies; inactivation requirements, including “failure” investigation; and inspection preparation and response. The course will consist of topical presentations followed by group discussions aimed at facilitating application of presented strategies to attendees’ individual programs and providing a platform to capitalize on attendees’ collective experience.
Objectives:
- Identify strategies for efficiently maintaining a select agent or equivalent program in good standing with ongoing requirements, including anticipating areas of emphasis in future inspections and/or future regulatory changes
- Indentify strategies for preparing for and responding to regulatory inspections, including strategies to efficiently implement necessary changes
- Review a series of suitability program case studies and identify strategies for dealing with potential suitability concerns
- Summarize inactivation requirements and identify successful strategies for compliance
Suggested Background: None
Target Audience: All Safety Professionals, Select Agent Program Safety Professionals
Audience Level: Intermediate
COURSE FACULTY
Amy Vogler, PhD, RBP(ABSA)
Associate Director – Pathogen and Microbiome Institute
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ
Amy Vogler is an Associate Director at the Pathogen and Microbiome Institute (PMI) at Northern Arizona University (NAU). She has worked at PMI since 1997 as a researcher and has been responsible for managing their BSL-3 Select Agent laboratory since 2009. She received her B.S. in Microbiology and Chemistry in 1999 and her Ph.D. in Biology in 2003 from NAU and is an author on 45 publications in the field of population genetics and molecular epidemiology of bacterial pathogens. She continues to conduct research on Yersinia pestis while also managing the BSL-3 laboratory. She received her RBP in 2012.
Shelley Jones, MS, RBP(ABSA)
Director of Biological Safety | Responsible Offical
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ
Shelley Jones is the Director of Biological Safety and Responsible Official at Northern Arizona University. She received her B.S. from Illinois State University and her M.S. from Arizona State University, both in environmental disciplines. Shelley has over 30 years of diverse experience in environmental health and safety. She has been a Responsible Official/Alternate Responsible Official for 19 years.
CONTACT HOURS
This course has been approved for 1.0 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 7.5 P.A.C.E.® contact hours.
Saturday, November 2, 2024, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
9. Fixing Broken Laboratories
Laboratory construction represents a small segment of the global construction industry, encompassing various types such as food and chemical laboratories. However, facilities that integrate biorisk considerations into their core design are relatively rare. Even scarcer are laboratories where biosafety and biosecurity design are critical for safe operation. The scarcity of such construction projects means that the skills and competencies required to deliver biorisk laboratories are equally uncommon. Typically, very few designers have experience designing even one facility, far less have significant experience designing multiple facilities. Those in the construction field change jobs often, so even companies with good historic experience cannot field the same team delivering successful projects in the past. Similarly, client-side laboratory construction experience may be lacking. New facilities are scarce. Those involved from client and user teams may have limited or no experience of how to interact with construction industry professionals to achieve a fully functional facility, fit for the needs and purpose intended. This lack of competence on one or both sides of a design team can lead to problems which only manifest themselves after a great deal of time and money has been invested, and can result in a range of problems. Such issues can persist and, in some cases, hinder or prevent the effective operation of the facility. This course aims to introduce the fundamentals of designing and constructing biosafety laboratories. Through case studies, the attendees will explore common problems in laboratory design and construction. Each case study will introduce problem solving and fault-finding techniques, including root cause and solutions. Suboptimally functioning laboratories are not uncommon, but with the right approach, most can be remediated. Attendees are expected to gain in confidence and learn structured fault-finding techniques that they can apply to address challenges in their own facility.
Objectives:
- Summarize the fundamentals of biosafety laboratory design
- Identify what structured fault-finding techniques are available to evaluate sub-optimal, failing or failed laboratories
- Apply techniques learned to real life experiential problems with sub-optimal, under-performing, failing or failed facilities
Suggested Background: Biosafety and Biosecurity Training Course (BBTC®), BSL-3 Operations and Management, Fundamentals of Biosafety, Principles and Practices of Biosafety® (PPB)
Target Audience: All Safety Professionals, Experienced Biosafety Professionals, Facility Managers and Laboratory Managers
Audience Level: Advanced
COURSE FACULTY
CONTACT HOURS
This course has been approved for 1.0 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 7.5 P.A.C.E.® contact hours.
Saturday, November 2, 2024, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
10. Introduction to Biosafety
This course is designed for individuals new to the profession, EHS professionals needing an understanding of biosafety, and for those interested in a refresher on the fundamental principles and practices of biosafety. Participants will gain a solid foundation in biosafety concepts, enabling them to understand and mitigate risks associated with biological materials in various laboratory settings. Class content and discussion include regulatory standards and guidelines, hazard identification, risk assessment and mitigation. Mitigations discussed will include biosafety levels and facility design, proper choice and use of personal protective equipment, waste management, decontamination and sterilization, and more.
Objectives:
- Identify the breadth of duties that may be central or peripheral to a biosafety professional
- Restate the major sources of regulatory and guidance materials available to them
- Describe the roles others within the institution play in supporting biosafety
Suggested Background: None
Target Audience: New Biosafety Professionals, Laboratory Workers
Audience Level: Basic
COURSE FACULTY
CONTACT HOURS
This course has been approved for 0.5 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 3.5 P.A.C.E.® contact hours.
Saturday, November 2, 2024, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
11. Integrating AI into Synthetic Biology: A Biosecurity Risk Assessment Course
This intensive half-day course is designed for biorisk management professionals who are at the forefront of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into synthetic biology. With AI rapidly transforming scientific research and applications, its adoption presents unique biosecurity challenges. This course provides an in-depth look into the specialized biosecurity risk assessment process tailored for AI applications in synthetic biology, combining theoretical foundations with practical, hands-on exercises and interactive case studies. Some of the topics to be covered include: an overview of AI technologies and their applications in synthetic biology; fundamentals of biosecurity risk assessment for AI; discuss the concepts of vulnerability, threat, risk, consequence, and mitigation; develop a dynamic risk management plan and strategies for continuous monitoring and updating of risk assessments to address the evolving nature of AI technologies and synthetic biology applications. Attendees will also discuss the challenges of maintaining an adaptable and proactive risk management stance in a rapidly advancing scientific field.
Objectives:
- Explain at a basic level the AI integration in synthetic biology research
- Identify associated biosecurity risks
- Apply a structured approach to assess these risks using newly developed tools and methodologies
Suggested Background: Fundamentals of Biosafety
Target Audience: All Safety Professionals, All Biosafety Professionals
Audience Level: Basic
COURSE FACULTY
CONTACT HOURS
This course has been approved for 0.5 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 3.5 P.A.C.E.® contact hours.
Saturday, November 2, 2024, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
12. Respiratory Protection for Biosafety Professionals
This course will provide an overview of respiratory protection personal protection equipment (PPE), including selection considerations for biological and chemical hazards. A deeper dive into key hazards relevant to biosafety professionals and their respiratory protection considerations will follow. While mostly based on U.S. OSHA Respiratory Protection Program requirements, much of theinformation presented will be applicable internationally.
Objectives:
- Describe the basic process for hazard and exposure assessment necessary for selecting appropriate respiratory protection equipment
- Identify the types and styles of respiratory protection equipment, in addition to U.S. OSHA requirements for their use
- Summarize the process of respirator selection and product implementation in their workplace for key hazards
Suggested Background: None
Target Audience: All Biosafety Professionals, All Safety Professionals
Audience Level: Intermediate
COURSE FACULTY
Kathryn Thompson, MPH, MS, CIH, MT(ASCP)
Technical Training and Education Specialist
3M
Annandale, MN
Kathryn Thompson has over 30 years of industrial hygiene experience in a variety of industrial andhealthcare applications, including infection control and technical support for disinfectant products. Kathy has been with 3M for the past 28 years and currently supports the selection and use of personal protective equipment with a focus on customers in the pharmaceutical andchemical industries. Kathy is a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) and Medical Technologist MT(ASCP) with a Master of Public Health and MS in Chemistry.
CONTACT HOURS
This course has been approved for 0.5 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 3.5 P.A.C.E.® contact hours.
Saturday, November 2, 2024, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
13. Field Research Safety for Biosafety Professionals
Biosafety professionals are often tasked with reviewing field research protocols, but many biosafety professionals have never received training in field research safety. In this course, attendees will review hazards inherent to fieldwork, lessons learned from past incidents, and assess risk for a variety of field projects. The attendees will discuss safe work practices in the field and exposure control approaches for zoonotic, vector-borne, soil-borne, and water-borne diseases. The course will also assist attendees to identify potential gaps in institutional and regulatory oversight and steps to improve a culture of safety and preparedness in the field.
Objectives:
- Review common environmental hazards; zoonotic, vector-borne, soil-borne, and water-borne diseases relevant to outdoor or remote fieldwork
- Evaluate risk tolerance as it relates to protocol and research review
- Assess risk for a variety of field projects including wildlife research, community health studies, excavating soil, plant surveys, etc.
- Identify reasonable controls and expectations
- Describe the compliance drivers, model field safety programs, written field safety plan templates; as well as best practices, technical references and potential actions to improve culture of safety and preparedness in the field
Suggested Background: None
Target Audience: All Biosafety Professionals
Audience Level: Intermediate
COURSE FACULTY
CONTACT HOURS
This course has been approved for 0.5 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 3.5 P.A.C.E.® contact hours.