ISSA/GBAC Bio Expert Leads ISO Efforts

NORTHBROOK, Ill.—January 14, 2020—Patty Olinger, executive director of the Global Risk Advisory Council (GBAC), a division of ISSA, led the working group that recently developed the first international standard for biorisk management. ISO 35001, Biorisk management for laboratories and other related organizations, sets out guidelines and requirements for organizations that work with biological agents, according to a press release. Adoption of this standard enables organizations to identify and manage the risks associated with the use of biological agents.

Though individual countries or regions have developed their own biorisk management guidelines over the years ISO 35001 is the first comprehensive international standard for biorisk best practices.

“ISO 35001 provides organizations and individuals with a roadmap of how to organize and systematically manage and structure their biological risk programs,” said Olinger. “This is increasingly important to protect our global public health infrastructure as our world becomes more and more integrated.”

Olinger is a Certified Forensic Operator and Bio-Forensic Restoration Specialist. Prior to joining ISSA-GBAC, Olinger served as Assistant Vice President in the Office of Research Administration and the Executive Director of the Environmental, Health and Safety Office (EHSO) at Emory University. She also spent 21 years in the pharmaceutical industry and has served on numerous working groups and task forces on global health and biorisk management, response, and recovery. Her work on ISO 35001 will bring much needed standardization to the field to which Olinger has dedicated her career.