Discussion on The Establishment of Biosafety Officers in Biorisk Management System in Taiwan

Discussion on The Establishment of Biosafety Officers in Biorisk Management System in Taiwan

Since the implementation of the ''Regulations for the Management of Infectious Biological Materials'' in 2005, the laboratory biosafety management system has been in operation for more than 15 years. With the advancement of international laboratory biosafety management policies and standards, it has become a trend for laboratories to implement biorisk management systems. In response to this trend, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) has been actively guiding specific laboratories to implement biorisk management systems in recent years. Since the biosafety officer (BSO) is the key person in the system management, Taiwan CDC is planning to amend the regulation in 2021 to incorporate the qualifications, responsibilities, training, and maintenance of BSOs into the system. We compiled and compared the management systems of BSOs in developed countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Singapore, to facilitate the appointment of a BSO in biorisk management system that is consistent with national conditions and in line with international standards.