SARS, pandemic viruses and threats of the malicious use of pathogens have all woken the world up to the risks of biological materials and the need for stringent, risk-proof ways of handling them. A biorisk management system is a key step towards that as it enables an organization to effectively identify, control and manage the biosafety or biosecurity risks related to its activities.

ISO 35001, Biorisk management for laboratories and other related organisations, is the first International Standard for a biorisk management system. It defines the requirements and guidance for laboratories or any other organization that works with biological agents to control and reduce any risks associated with their use.

Patty Olinger, Convenor of the working group that developed the standard, said that while there are a number of regional or national standards that help organizations manage their risks and meet regulatory requirements, ISO 35001 is the first that harmonizes them to deliver international best practice that is recognizable everywhere.

“ISO 35001 provides organizations and individuals with a roadmap of how to organize and systematically manage and structure their biological risk programmes,” she adds.

“This is increasingly important to protect our global public health infrastructure as our world becomes more and more integrated.”

ISO 35001 was developed by ISO technical committee ISO/TC 212, Clinical laboratory testing and in vitro diagnostic test systems, the secretariat of which is held by ANSI, ISO’s member for the USA. It is available from your national ISO member or through the ISO Store.

Social responsibility is not only good for business, it is everyone’s business. New international guidance for the agri-food sector has just been published.

From ending hunger and obesity to protecting our natural resources, the food and agricultural industry has a huge role to play in the sustainable development of our world. ISO 26000 is an international reference document for social responsibility, providing best-practice guidance to help organizations operate in an ethical and transparent way that contributes directly to sustainable development. Now, a new technical specification for the agri-food industry offers sector-specific guidance on implementing social responsibility and, in particular, ISO 26000.

ISO/TS 26030, Social responsibility and sustainable development – Guidance on using ISO 26000:2010 in the food chain, provides guidelines on how an organization in the food production chain can contribute to sustainable development while considering all local laws, regulations and stakeholder expectations. It will help organizations such as food companies, farms, cooperatives, processors and retailers, regardless of their size or location, to develop a list of activities that will lead them to being more socially responsible.

Sandrine Espeillac, Manager of the ISO technical committee that developed the guidance, said there is increasing demand from consumers to have sustainable and socially responsible practices at every step of the food production chain, creating a real need for internationally agreed systems and processes.

“The food and agriculture sector has a significant influence on our world and our well-being,” she said.

“The use of ISO/TS 26030 will therefore not only help to improve social responsibility and sustainability in the food industry but have a positive impact on society as a whole. It also helps organizations contribute to many of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.”

The findings of the IAF (International Accreditation Forum) survey confirm that businesses are generating significant benefits and added value from accredited certification. Not only is it being used as a tool to deliver internal business improvement and to meet regulatory compliance, but businesses confirm that it has a positive effect on revenue. Given that the majority of businesses that responded to the survey (57%) employed less than 249 people, accredited certification clearly benefits small to medium sized organizations, as well as large multinationals.

Businesses taking part also reported high levels of satisfaction with the certification process in terms of the timeframe to achieve certification and the competence of the assessment teams. Given these positive findings, businesses perceive accredited certification as providing value for money.

Nearly all of the businesses that took part in the survey (91%) selected an accredited certification body, providing an assurance that these organizations have the required competence and impartiality to do so as evidenced by fulfillment of international standards and requirements.

To study full IAF survey, please go to the link

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ISO 45001, one of the world's much anticipated standards for occupational health and safety (OHS), has been approved as a Draft International Standard.

Every 15 seconds, a worker dies from a work-related accident or disease, and 153 people experience a work-related injury. These represent an enormous burden for organizations and society as a whole, costing over 2.3 million deaths a year, not to mention the more than 300 million non-fatal accidents*.

Now, with ISO 45001 at the Draft International Standard (DIS) stage, the world is one step closer to a robust and effective set of processes for improving work safety in global supply chains. Designed to help organizations of all sizes and industries, the future standard is expected to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses around the world.

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