About ISO/TS5441:2024 Competence Requirements for Biorisk Management Advisors: what it is, how to use it

Instructor Ursula Jenal

In spring 2024, the International Organization for Standardization, ISO, published the technical specification ISO/TS5441:2024 Competence Requirements for Biorisk Management Advisors (BMA). ISO/TS5441 compiles all information on required knowledge, skills and experience a biorisk management advisor should have to provide competent advice to an organization under a given context, that is, based on the types of activities with biological material and their risk. ISO/TS5441 helps you to demonstrate and update your competence and it supports organization on how to define their competence need and how to choose a BMA. ISO/TS5441 has been designed by biosafety experts from different countries around the globe based on consensus, thus being a truly international specification.

The course will inform BMA of all degree of expertise and fields of activities on how ISO/TS5441 supports biorisk management advice activities. ISO/TS5441 can be purchased from national standardization organisations. However, this is not a prerequisite for attending the course.

Main topics

Having evolved from CWA 16335 Biosafety professional competence, ISO/TS5441 addresses all topics covered by CWA 16335, this CEN workshop agreement no longer in place. Most importantly, addressed are the range of subjects a BMA needs to be competent in at what level of biorisk in an organization and how an organization can define which competence is required for their biorisk management needs.