Notifying accidents and dangerous occurrences involving specified animal pathogens

A licence holder is required to notify the licensing authority immediately in the event of:

  • An accident or dangerous occurrence involving any of the specified animal pathogens listed in Schedule 1 of SAPO.
  • The loss of a specified animal pathogen during its transportation.

An accident is an adverse event that actually results in the release of a specified animal pathogen from containment.

A dangerous occurrence is an adverse event involving a SAPO3 or SAPO4 pathogen, where the specified animal pathogen is not released from containment but where there was significant potential for this to have happened.

For further guidance on accidents and dangerous occurrences read Guidance for licence holders on the containment and control of specified animal pathogens.[42]

How do I report an accident?

For accidents and loss of specified animal pathogens during transit, it is best to contact HSE by telephone in the first instance. A completed accident notification[43] should be sent within 24 hours of the accident being brought to the licence holder's attention.

For dangerous occurrences it is acceptable to notify HSE in writing within 24 hours of being brought to the licence holder's attention.

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. Guidance for licence holders on the containment and control of specified animal pathogens.https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg280.htm
  43. accident notificationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/forms/sapo/index.htm
  44. CD230 - Consultation on the Legislative Reform Order to amend the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act (1974) https://consultations.hse.gov.uk/
  45. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs
  46. Department of Health https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health
  47. Food Standards Agency http://www.food.gov.uk/

Glossary of abbreviations/acronyms on this page

GMO
Genetically modified organisms

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Updated 2024-07-30