PUBLIC HEALTH AND PREPAREDNESS RESPONSE
Addressing Priority Training Needs for Biosafety Professionals
By Stormy Chester , senior specialist , Public Health Preparedness and Response
APHL Biosafety Technical Workshop instructors , Jill Power and Ed Kopp , leading biosafety professionals in a hands-on workshop exercise .
Biosafety professionals are essential to maintaining the safety and security of public health and clinical laboratories . They are faced with growing demands as they manage emerging pathogens , navigate evolving regulations and adapt to technological advancements . To better understand the needs of the public health safety workforce , APHL conducted a training needs assessment to identify gaps in knowledge and skills . The training needs assessment revealed two key training priorities relating to biosafety : risk assessments and laboratory competency assessments . These findings have further shaped APHL ’ s efforts to develop targeted resources and training programs that empower biosafety professionals and strengthen the laboratory workforce .
To address these critical gaps , APHL , via funding from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ), delivered a series of technical workshops , focusing on foundational biosafety topics such as engineering controls , risk assessment and competencies . These workshops have provided biosafety professionals with the resources and knowledge they need to meet the rising demands of their roles .
Building on insights from the training needs assessment , APHL is committed to providing ongoing resources and specialized training designed to support biosafety professionals . In addition to utilizing feedback from the training needs assessment , APHL also solicits feedback from in-person and virtual trainings to develop free resources , such as a risk assessment best practice guide , biosafety checklist , biosecurity exercise toolkit and laboratory exposure assessment , that are offered online through the APHL ’ s Biosafety and Biosecurity Resource webpage . These resources are part of the association ’ s ongoing efforts to provide accessible support for professionals working to strengthen biosafety and biosecurity across public health and clinical laboratories .
In addition to the online resources and in-person workshops , APHL also offers a range of online training through the APHL Learning Center ( ALC ). The ALC is APHL ’ s learning management system that offers high quality educational activities . Users can search for and enroll in training , complete evaluations and manage certificates all in one place . Among its offerings is a two-part webinar series on risk assessments , The Laboratory Risk Assessment Cycle and Applying Laboratory Risk Assessments . The first webinar introduces the basics of the risk assessment process to help minimize laboratory risks , while the second focuses on the timing and methodology for performing risk assessments within their facilities . Speakers emphasized how effective risk assessments can prevent potential risks and demonstrated their application across different laboratory settings .
By leveraging insights from the training needs assessment , APHL continues to adapt its training programs and resources to address priority gaps in knowledge and skills . These efforts demonstrate APHL ’ s commitment to empowering biosafety professionals , promoting professional growth and building a resilient public health laboratory workforce . Through targeted workshops , accessible online tools and specialized training , APHL ensures that biosafety professionals are equipped to meet the challenges of today and prepared for those tomorrow . g
28 LAB MATTERS Spring 2025
PublicHealthLabs @ APHL . org APHL . org