Establishing a Laboratory Biorisk Management Assessment Tool for Indonesia

Introduction: Biosafety and biosecurity principles and practices were introduced to Indonesia over the last two decades, with the Avian influenza outbreak serving as the main catalyst. Both have been implemented in parallel following the establishment of Biosafety Level 3 laboratories in Indonesia for handling highly pathogenic agents. A national standard for biorisk management was initiated by a group of expert panelists from the government and universities, who adopted the CEN Working Agreement 15793 standard. This standard was then endorsed by the Indonesian National Standardization Body as Indonesian National Standard (SNI) 8340 in 2016. The Laboratory Assessment Tool (LAT) for the Biorisk Management System was developed based on the SNI 8340 standard and is used to assess laboratory compliance and performance. Methods: The LAT for the Biorisk Management System has been developed based on the SNI 8340 standard and used in assessing the laboratory current condition and compliance. This assessment tool consists of 16 elements and 54 questions. Results: The LAT has been used as a basis to assess different laboratories in broader fields where biological hazardous materials are present. The LAT assesses laboratories according to their degree of conformity with the established standard, and the level of compliance is reported as a percentage. Various charts are used to present detailed results, allowing for comparisons to monitor future progress. Conclusion: This LAT outlines laboratory achievements in biorisk management. It has been proven to be an effective, easy-to-use, and practical tool that supports laboratories in meeting the Indonesian standards for laboratory biorisk management.