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Biological agent hazards

This short course is about biological agent hazards. The course teaches you how to identify and manage the risks associated with biological agent hazards in health and social care settings.

Contact the Health and Safety helpdesk for more information or advice

This training is only available to HSE staff.

Who this training is for

This module is mandatory for managers who supervise staff in areas where there is a risk of exposure to biological agent hazards.

It applies to clerical admin Grade V and above; and CNM 1 and CMM 1 and above. Access the training on HSelanD.

Course specification

After completing this programme, trainees will be able to

  • identify ways in which health and social care employees are exposed to biological agent hazards in the workplace
  • recognise the types of health effects associated with exposure to biological agent hazards
  • describe the risk assessment process for biological agent hazards
  • describe control measures to reduce the risk of exposure to harmful biological agent in health and social care settings

Duration

This module takes approximately 40 minutes.

How to book

This module is available on HSeLanD (health and safety catalogue)

Assessment

To get a certificate of completion, you must complete a short assessment at the end of the module.

Training records

Managers must keep copies of employees' training records on file. This is in line with the HSE National Records Retention Policy.

The policy requires managers to keep electronic files for 7 years after an employee's term of service ends.

Get a template for recording, scheduling and monitoring training requirements in the OSH training toolkit.

Refresher training

This programme must be refreshed every 3 years. In some cases refresher training may be required more frequently. This will be identified through the risk assessment or training needs assessment (TNA) process.

Acknowledgements

Health and Safety Authority

Important

Due to the complexity of the hazards, risk process and controls in your workplace, additional training may be required. Line managers, in consultation with their staff, should identify additional training needs during the training needs assessment process.