The Curriculum Biosafety - An initiative of the FOEN, the FOPH, the SUVA and the SECB
Since 1999, the Ordinance on the Contained Use of Organisms (Containment Ordinance, ContainO) and the ordinance on occupational safety in biotechnology (SAMV) stipulate that any activity involving genetically modified or pathogenic organisms be supervised by a person responsible for all aspects of biological safety, the biosafety officer (BSO).
The tasks of a BSO can be difficult: He serves as information agent for all biosafety questions from colleagues or the management as well as from external authorities. The ideal BSO has therefore a higher professional education, if possible with a university degree, extensive laboratory experience, knowledge of all aspects of biosafety, negotiating skills and authority.
Representatives of the FOEN, FOPH, SUVA, FECB and ERFA BIO, in collaboration with professional BSO and private biosafety experts, have thus developed a Curriculum Biosafety to harmonize the biosafety standards within Switzerland on a high professional level. Under the supervision of these authorities, the study supervision (sanu) organizes every year a series of general training courses on biosafety, which are designed according to biosafety levels and all held by renowned biosafety experts. Due to great demand, the course of biosafety level 2 is held twice every two years. Additionally, there are supplemental courses of shorter duration focusing on topics particularly relevant for biosafety.
Additional information regarding contents and organization as well as the current course dates can be found on the website of sanu:
(available in German or French)
Last modification 22.03.2023
