June 29, 2007 — LEIPZIG, GERMANY — A conference stream dedicated to the subject of Laboratory Safety and Biosafety will take place at L.A.B. 2007. The World Health Organization published its first edition of the Laboratory Biosafety Manual in 1983, making the issue of biosafety essential to laboratories worldwide. Since then, many countries have used guidance provided in the manual to develop codes of practice. The day-long conference at L.A.B. will debate many of the issues raised in the Laboratory Safety Manual.
The conference, which will examine areas such as safety techniques, incident response and the role of management in laboratory safety, is organized by Leipziger Messe and chaired by John Day, head of quality and safety at the Laboratory of the Government Chemist (LGC). LGC is the U.K.’s leading independent provider of analytical and diagnostic services.
L.A.B. — the European trade fair and conference devoted to analysis, bio and laboratory equipment — occurs from October 2-4, 2007, at ExCeL London International Conference and Exhibition Centre. The Laboratory Safety and Biosafety conference, which will be held on October 3, 2007, concentrates on the following areas:
Chairman John Day, Head of Quality and Safety at LGC, comments, “This subject area is both relevant and interesting to professionals from all industry sectors attending L.A.B. The issue of biosafety is currently high on the agenda of laboratories worldwide and more traditional safety issues are constant concerns in all laboratories. The WHO guidance notes encouraged countries to accept and implement basic concepts in biological safety and to develop national codes of practice for the safe handling of materials in laboratories within their geographical borders. However, we still have a long way to go to develop and reinforce these procedures. I look forward to discussing these issues with an international audience from countries across Europe, USA and beyond, to develop and maintain a culture of safety.”
The L.A.B. conference, which takes place October 2-3, consists of six streams focusing on relevant industry issues. Delegates will also have the opportunity to visit the L.A.B. exhibition itself, thus making direct contact with leading international exhibitors working in the laboratory safety and biosafety fields.
To guarantee a place on the “Laboratory Safety and Biosafety” conference stream, or for more information, visit www.lab-uk.co.uk/conference. Participants who register before August 15 will pay just 75 GBP for the full day’s program. To enquire about presenting a paper in this stream, contact Oxford International, [email protected]. For more information about L.A.B., please go online to www.lab-uk.co.uk, contact Leipziger Messe at +49-341-678-1211, or E-mail [email protected]
About Leipziger Messe
Leipziger Messe is an experienced trade fair partner, offering custom trade fair concepts to satisfy the needs of exhibitors and visitors alike. Leipziger Messe has 30 offices worldwide, which ensures local representation, assistance and information throughout the world’s important international markets. Its all-round services range from developing trade fair concepts to stand construction, travel services and realizing the event. The company’s portfolio is constantly expanding, offering exhibitors and visitors the international platform they require to network and successfully cultivate business relations.
About John Day
John Day is currently group quality manager and safety advisor at LGC. With a background in chemistry and food science, John has over 30 years’ experience working in foods, forensics, environment, customs, alcohol and research. He is currently a member of the EA Permanent Liaison Group and Eurolab Technical Committee on Quality Assurance.
The World Health Organization
For more information about The World Health Organization’s Laboratory biosafety manual, please visit:
www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/biosafety/Biosafety7.pdf