Emergency response of Biosafety Laboratory Facilities

Jeong Jae-Nam, Lim Seung-Hyun, Kim Ju-Sim
Division of Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response, Center for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, KCDC

Background: Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) has been working on the front lines in responding to the health security threats of newly emerging or re-emerging infectious disease, and especially, biological terrorism. Scaling up rapid diagnostic capabilities and, ultimately, developing new vaccines are considered critical for being effectively prepared against these infectious disease. Since 2008, many biosafety laboratory facilities have been established in Korea. Researchers or laboratory personnel remain at risk of laboratory-acquired infections from high-risk pathogenic agents by unrecognized incidents.
Present condition: Although there are more than 50 laboratory facilities of biosafety level 3-4 in the country, the Korea’s biosafety regulation stipulates only a few procedures such as spill, blackout, and burn. More practically, operational control parts such as command system and related organization cooperation system, and proper training for emergencies are still not specified as requirements in details. For the purpose of improving the preparedness for potential emergency situations, considering some limitations, our division has planned and conducted two emergency response exercises every year in collaboration with relevant organizations at the Biosafety Complex Laboratory of first Biosafety Level 4 (BL 4) in Korea.
Prospective future: The lesson learned from those exercise experiences implies that biosafety laboratory facilities need to be well-prepared by promoting essential competencies though continuous exercises against a variety of potential emergency situations in participation of related agencies mobilizing necessary resources at national, regional and local level.