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HSE and Infection at Work

HSE operates and enforces legislation in Great Britain that aims to control the risks to human health from micro-organisms people may be exposed to at work.

The principal legislation that applies is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH). These regulations cover hazardous substances including biological agents (pathogenic micro-organisms) and they contain a schedule of special provisions relating to biological agents. COSHH, together with the associated Approved Codes of Practice (ACOPs), require employers to assess the risks of exposure to biological agents (micro-organisms) and either prevent exposure (where reasonably practicable) or control it adequately.

Who we are

The Specialist Inspector Team

  • Provide advice and guidance to centres working with harmful micro-organisms and genetically modified organisms.
  • Undertake inspections of premises undertaking work with micro-organisms classified in Hazard Groups 3 and 4 or research activities with micro-organisms in Hazard Group 2 or any work with genetically modified micro-organisms.

The Notification Team

Manage the statutory notification scheme for GM premises and activities and undertake the administrative procedures involved in the handling of notifications under the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations[42] and COSHH[43].

The Policy Team

  • Negotiate and implement EU and international law and Conventions on biological agents and GMOs
  • Develop national legislation
  • Ensure that the regulatory regime covering biological agents is in line with over-arching government policies.

Local General Inspectors

Inspect workplaces where the possibility of exposure to micro-organisms is incidental to the purpose of the work eg healthcare workers, farmers and sewage workers.

Contact details for: Local General Inspectors[44]

The Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP)

A committee of external experts providing technical and scientific advice to the Department of Health, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, HSE and Devolved Administrations on all aspects of hazards and risks to workers and others from exposure to pathogens.

Link URLs in this page

  1. Biosafetyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/index.htm
  2. Safety noticeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/notices/index.htm
  3. Overview - The regulation of specified animal pathogenshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/sapo.htm
  4. Background on the regulation of specified animal pathogenshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/background.htm
  5. SAPO Application processhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/app-process.htm
  6. How do I make my application?https://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/how-do-i.htm
  7. Notifying accidents and dangerous occurrencehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/notify.htm
  8. Guidance on Appeals for Notices issued under SAPOhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/guidance-appeals-sapo.htm
  9. Overview - Infections at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/infection.htm
  10. Preventing infections at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/about.htm
  11. HSE and infectionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/hseandinfection.htm
  12. Overview - Are you at risk?https://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/microorganisms.htm
  13. Laboratory workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/laboratories.htm
  14. Healthcarehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/healthcare.htm
  15. Overview - Specific infectionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/diseases/index.htm
  16. Overview - Influenzahttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/diseases/influenza.htm
  17. Avian influenzahttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/diseases/avianflu.htm
  18. Pandemic influenzahttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/diseases/pandemic.htm
  19. Workplace guidancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/diseases/pandflu.htm
  20. Anthraxhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/diseases/anthrax.htm
  21. Zoonoseshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/diseases/zoonoses.htm
  22. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)https://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/diseases/bovine.htm
  23. Handling the deceased with suspected or confirmed COVIDhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/handling-the-deceased.htm
  24. What the Law says about Biosafetyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/law.htm
  25. Biosafety Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/information.htm
  26. Useful linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/links.htm
  27. Blood-borne viruseshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/blood-borne-viruses/index.htm
  28. Overview - GMOhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/gmo/index.htm
  29. What are GMOs?https://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/gmo/whatare.htm
  30. Who is responsible for GMO (CU) Regulations?https://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/gmo/whos-responsible.htm
  31. GMOs and the lawhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/gmo/law.htm
  32. GMO Notificationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/gmo/notifications/index.htm
  33. What do I notify?https://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/gmo/notifications/what.htm
  34. How do I notify?https://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/gmo/notifications/process.htm
  35. Feeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/gmo/notifications/fees.htm
  36. Appealshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/gmo/notifications/appeals.htm
  37. Confidentiality and disclosure of notified datahttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/gmo/notifications/confid.htm
  38. Description of the Public Registerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/gmo/notifications/publicregister.htm
  39. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/gmo/information.htm
  40. The SACGM Compendium of Guidancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/gmo/acgm/acgmcomp/index.htm
  41. Risk assessment guidancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/gmo/acgm/index.htm
  42. Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/gmo/law.htm
  43. COSHHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/law.htm
  44. Local General Inspectorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/maps/index.htm
  45. Approved list of biological agentshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/misc208.pdf
  46. More resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/information.htm
  47. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairshttps://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs
  48. Department of Healthhttps://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health
  49. Food Standards Agencyhttp://www.food.gov.uk/

Glossary of abbreviations/acronyms on this page

GMO
Genetically modified organisms

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Updated 2022-05-20