Safety instruction as a protective measure – the new GenTSV

We've all been there to a greater or lesser extent: a new colleague starts work and has to endure a lot of training. Safety training is time-consuming and tiring for everyone involved and is therefore often perceived as an unpopular activity. But it is also prescribed by the GenTSV, among other things, and is considered an important protective measure. While the current GenTSV requires training to be oral and workplace-specific (Section 12, Paragraph 3, GenTSV), the new GenTSV, which comes into force in March 2021, stipulates that training for activities in S1 facilities can also be provided via electronic communication tools with a performance review and in each case workplace-specific (Section 17, Paragraph 4, GenTSV 2019). What does this mean in purely practical terms? At least for training in genetic engineering S1 facilities, those responsible can now apply a new concept, which could certainly make work easier in the future. If time is initially invested in creating an electronic training tool and a monitoring mechanism for the success of the training, training can then be carried out independently of the person in charge. A major advantage is certainly that less time is tied up for the instructor in the long term, but also that the trainee can attend the training when they feel ready to absorb it, which can possibly take place independently of other training sessions. It can then be expected that the content can be understood better. If the monitoring of success reveals that not all of the content has been understood, the person in charge can specifically address individual content again, which will likely lead to a better overall understanding. It will therefore be interesting to see how the new concepts that will now emerge prove themselves in practice.