"Safety by Design"
A 33-year Legacy: The NIH Laboratory Safety Monograph Revisited
This is the first in a series of symposia sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Office of Research Services, Division of Occupational Health and Safety (DOHS), with the purpose of promoting a culture of safe science in the conduct of biomedical research involving high-risk pathogens.
Monday through Wednesday, April 4-6, 2011
Natcher Conference Center located on the campus of the National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
The Symposium will examine advancements occurring in the discipline of biosafety over the past three decades, including laboratory practices, containment equipment and laboratory design. The program will also address emerging issues affecting both biosafety and scientific progress, such as biosecurity, risk assessment and responsible research.
The program will be interactive with formal presentations, panel discussions, and breakout groups. As an IACET Authorized Provider, DOHS will award CEUs to qualified attendees. There is no registration fee.
Symposium Program
To view the full Symposium Program, click here.
Highlights: Each day will begin with a Keynote speaker addressing a national issue concerning the conduct of safe and responsible research involving high-risk pathogens.
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•Carol D. Linden, Ph.D., Principal Deputy Director, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Department of Health and Human Services
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•Rita R. Cowell, Ph.D., Chairman of Canon US Life Sciences, Inc., and Distinguished University Professor, University of Maryland at College Park and Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
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•Arturo Casadevall, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Member, National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity
Symposium Schedule
The Symposium will take place on Monday and Tuesday, April 4 and 5, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Wednesday, April 6, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. A portion of the program on Tuesday and Wednesday will include breakout groups. Attendees will choose the groups in which they wish to participate. The Symposium will conclude with a Plenary Session Wednesday afternoon.
The evenings will be open for networking, connecting with colleagues, or sightseeing – the average peak bloom date for the Washington, D.C. cherry blossoms is April 4.
Hotel Accommodations
Rooms are reserved at a special rate of $212 at the Bethesda Marriott, 5151 Pooks Hill Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, located 1.5 miles from the NIH campus. Free shuttle buses will transport Symposium participants to and from the meeting daily.
For reservations, call 1.800.228.9290, or go online to www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/wasbt-bethesda-marriott. State that you will be attending the "Safety by Design" Symposium, and make your reservations no later than Sunday, March 13, 2011, to secure the special rate.
Program Background
The National Cancer Institute published the NIH Laboratory Safety Monograph in 1978 as a supplement to the NIH Guidelines for Recombinant DNA Research. Its Preface reads in part,
"This monograph was prepared in response to numerous requests for greater specificity in describing practices, equipment, and facilities appropriate for the safe conduct of recombinant DNA research...The principal purpose is to assist scientific institutions, principal investigators, and health and safety professionals in the selection and use of physical containment measures described in the NIH Guidelines...The information is based on established principles of laboratory safety, expert opinion, and experience in dealing safely with infectious disease organisms in diagnostic and research laboratories. The monograph will be useful, therefore, not only to those associated with recombinant DNA research, but to all who are associated with research programs involving potentially hazardous organisms."
The 1978 monograph continues to serve as an authoritative reference for safe science. However, since its publication 33 years ago, the practice of safe science has made significant improvements. Following the April Symposium, the Division of Occupational Health and Safety will prepare and publish a Symposium Proceedings reflecting not only advances in the conduct of safe science over the past three decades, but also in its culture. The collective opinions and experiences shared during our three-day event will help guide the development of the “Safety by Design” Proceedings.
