4 . TRAINING 
4.1 The Ashby Report (paragraph 7.3) recommended that all those who work 
with these techniques should ha\e training in the handling of pathogens. We 
were asked to make recommendations for the provision of necessary training 
facilities. 
4.2 The first generation of workers in genetic manipulation will be largely 
self-taught, but we consider that appropriate training should be made available 
to all research workers, technicians and Biological Safety Officers intending to 
work in the field and that the head of each establishment or department, advised 
by the Biological Safety Officer, should ensure that anyone selected for the 
work has satisfactorily completed an appropriate course of training. 
4.3 Biological Safety Officers will need: 
i. to understand both the nature and implications of the genetic experi- 
ments being undertaken, and also the methods advised for physical 
containment; 
ii. to judge the training requirements of the research workers and 
technicians and, as necessary, to recommend appropriate courses, or 
arrange to supplement a new entrant's experience with in-house 
training; 
iii. to be familar with health monitoring procedures and to be able to 
collaborate with the supervisory medical officer in organising them; 
and 
iv. to understand the legal and medical provisions relating to work in 
laboratories (for example, the Health and Safety at Work Act, relevant 
codes of practice and the organisation of local health services) and 
the procedures for consulting the Genetic Manipulation Advisory 
Group (GMAG). 
Training for Biological Safety Officers will best be provided by special courses, 
preferably at. or in association wfith. a laboratory that has the necessary con- 
tainment facilities and experience of containment techniques. 
4.4 For research workers and technicians, we see a need for three types of 
training: 
i. general education in the science of genetic manipulation, in the nature 
of the potential hazards and of the special precautions required to 
counter them. This should be required for all research workers 
without relevant experience and would include molecular biology and 
genetics, microbiology, epidemiology and relevant aspects of other 
disciplines. Such training might be provided at a university summer 
school; 
ii. as a minimum, practical training in the procedures and manipulations 
appropriate to work in a genetic manipulation laboratory at the 
physical containment level of categories I and II above. This might 
be provided by industrial employers or at special university, poly- 
technic or other suitable courses; and 
iii. special training for anyone intending to work in a genetic manipulation 
laboratory at the physical containment level of categories III or IV 
above. Such training should include practice in the use of such 
facilities and there is therefore a need for specimen physical contain- 
ment laboratories which can be made available for training as well as 
for research. 
IV- 14 
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