GM Risk Assessments
This guidance is provided to help you carry out your GM risk assessments. Health and safety, animal health, plant health and environmental legislation require employers to protect people and the environment against risks from work with genetically modified organisms. The Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations (GMOCU) is the main law which requires controls for work with genetically modified organisms to protect people and the environment. There is detailed guidance on work with genetically modified organisms which must be followed that is available from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Scottish Government, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and other agencies. You need to read the relevant guidance if you are working with genetically modified organisms to understand GM risk assessment and control. Here are some useful websites.
- HSE
- HSE Biological Safety
- HSE Genetically Modified Organisms
- Scottish Government Animal Health
- Scottish Government Plant Health
- DEFRA
- DEFRA Animal Health
- DEFRA Plant Health
- SEPA
- Health Protection Scotland
- Public Health England
- World Health Organization Biological Safety
- World Organisation for Animal Health
The HSE SACGM Compendium of guidance is the most important guidance for work with genetically modified organisms, GM risk assessment and controls for protection of people and the environment. Please read this guidance since it will help you understand how to best do your risk assessments and safely carry out the work.
The HSE SACGM Compendium of guidance is divided into the following parts.
- Part 1: Introduction to the legislation and general health and safety issues
- Part 2: Risk assessment of genetically modified microorganisms (other than those associated with plants)
- Part 3: Containment and control of activities involving genetically modified microorganisms
- Part 4: Genetic modification work that involves plants (including plant-associated genetically modified microorganisms)
- Part 5: Genetic modification of animals
- Part 6: Guidance on the use of genetic modified organisms in a clinical setting
- List of abbreviations
The HSE SACGM Compendium of guidance on work with genetically modified organisms is available on the HSE website. You may need to find guidance on specific hazards on other websites. Please contact your GM biological safety officer (GMBSO) if you need advice on GM risk assessments and controls.