ANNEX 4 
page 1 
PROPOSED OBJECTIVES FOR WORKING GROUPS OF 
THE WHO SPECIAL PROGRAMME ON SAFETY MEASURES IN MICROBIOLOGY 
I. SAFE TRANSFER OF INFECTIOUS SUBSTANCES 
1. The recommendations of the consultative meeting to WHO on the transport of 
infectious materials should be brought to the attention of the United Nations 
Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods for their inclusion into 
Class 6.2 of the United Nations recommendations on the transport of dangerous goods. 
This Committee will meet for its Ninth Session in November 1976. 
2. The group will revise and update the recommendations submitted by the WHO/NIH 
Consultations on Facilitation and Safety in the International Transfer of Research 
Materials in the light of future developments. 
3. The group will develop detailed directives for packing, shipment and reception 
of infectious substances. 
4. The group will solicit, both formally and informally, incidents of refusals by 
carriers to transport an infectious substance which is properly packed, labelled and 
documented. 
5. The group will keep in contact by letter and will meet if this proves necessary. 
II. LABORATORY SAFETY ELEMENTS 
1. The five broad categories of concern to this working group are hazard (risk) 
assessment, facility and equipment design (less than "MCL") , laboratory practice, 
training and education, and employee health. 
2. The immediate objectives of this group are to: 
a) Establish a list of experts to serve as technical advice resources. 
b) Develop methodology for risk and hazard assessment. 
c) Collect available data and documents regarding the five basic concerns 
listed in paragraph 1. 
d) Promote establishment of a central library of training material references. 
e) Collect lists of "unanswered" questions relative to laboratory-associated 
infections and hazards. 
3. The long-range objectives of the group include: 
a) Development of an international code (standard) of practice. 
b) Conduction of morbidity and mortality studies of laboratory workers by 
profession and of laboratory-associated infections. 
c) Determination of the need for international training programmes and development 
of the same if indicated. 
d) Establishment in the WHO Library of a film (video) reference and loan collection 
of available materials on laboratory safety. 
e) Working through WHO programmes to introduce safety practice into university 
curricula by their introduction into normal class work. 
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