HSE consults on minor amendments to GMO regulations

Date:

31 March 2010

HSE has today released a consultation document outlining how it plans to implement minor changes to the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations 2000, to bring it in line with a European Commission Directive.

The amendments cover three areas:

• Risk assessments will need to specifically take account of the disposal of waste and effluents and, where appropriate, to implement necessary safety measures. This is already implicit in the Regulations and associated guidance.
• An explicit requirement to display bio-hazard signs on doors, for class 2, 3 and 4 activities.
• Publishing the European Commission's criteria for genetically modified micro-organisms to be considered under class 1 (which are those that are of no or negligible risk).

The majority of those working with genetically modified micro-organisms should already have measures in place and are unlikely to be significantly affected by the changes.

The consultation will run for eight weeks and is available on our website. This will ensure the changes can be implemented by October 2010.

In time the Regulations will come under the proposed Single Regulatory Framework, which will implement the recommendations of review by Sir Bill Callaghan following the foot and mouth disease outbreak at a research laboratory in 2007.

The Framework was due to come into force in October 2010, but the timetable has now been extended until April 2011. It will involve a Legislative Reform Order, to extend the remit of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to cover work with animal pathogens. In the meantime HSE will continue to inspect and enforce contained use work with animal pathogens under the agency agreements with DEFRA and the Devolved Administrations.

Notes to editors

1. The consultation document is available on the HSE website at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/consult/condocs/cd231.htm
2. The European Commission Directive 2009/41/EC on the contained use of genetically modified organisms is available online.
3. About 230,000 people work in biomedical sciences. Currently, there are three sets of regulations that cover this work.
4. For information about the recommendations from the Callaghan Report that led to the proposal for a single regulatory framework to cover all work with human and animal pathogens and genetically modified organisms in contained facilities visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/callaghan.htm
5. For information about HSE's initiatives to simplify regulations visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/regulation/index.htm