TRBA 255 for health services new

For the healthcare sector, there is a new TRBA 255 in the field of biotechnology and genetic engineering on occupational safety in the event of the emergence of non-vaccine-preventable respiratory viruses with pandemic potential, effective February 5, 2021. TRBA 255 specifies the Biological Agents Ordinance in the event of an epidemic of national significance within the meaning of Section 5 of the IFSG (Infectious Diseases Act). It primarily serves to protect healthcare workers who examine, treat, care for, or otherwise provide support to individuals. It is a lex specialis to TRBA 100, which applies to laboratories. 3.1 (1) of TRBA 255 first stipulates that in the event of an epidemic of national significance, the employer must immediately update their risk assessment. In doing so, they must take into account the requirements of TRBA 100 - Instructions for Risk Assessment and for Informing Employees When Working with Biological Agents. They must obtain all available information and consider it in their risk assessment. They must obtain up-to-date information from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), or the World Health Organization (WHO). They must then organize hygiene measures, disinfection, and waste disposal (Section 4 TRBA 255) based on this information. Section 5 (1) requires that even activities with patients within the scope of this TRBA require a professional quality of the situation within the meaning of TRBA 250. Staff who interact with patients must be instructed in the proper use of personal protective equipment under the necessary hygienic conditions, such as hand disinfection and strictly avoiding hand contact with the inside of the mask. This also includes regular training in proper donning and doffing. Activities may only be assigned to appropriately trained employees.