A Conversation on Risk Management in Environmental Monitoring and Public Health Labs

Effectively Communicating Scientific Information
Oral Presentation

Prepared by , C. Stewart

Contact Information: awnelso@sandia.gov; 505-220-8507


ABSTRACT

Environmental monitoring and public health laboratories contain numerous chemical and biological agents. Some of these agents are safety and/or security hazards. Unfortunately, accidents happen, and we live in a world where adversaries aim to acquire these hazardous agents. In order to protect the health and well-being of workers, operations, and the environment, laboratories often implement safety and security systems that are based on prescriptive regulatory requirements. However, given the unique properties of chemical and biological agents—compounded with the uniqueness of every laboratory and its personnel—organization-specific risk management systems should be developed based on a risk assessment of each facility. This presentation will discuss lessons learned from the International Biological and Chemical Threat Reduction (IBCTR) group at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and best practices for robust risk management systems.