As many of you will remember, last year our Executive Committee members chaired a webinar, working with Camfil Ltd. looking at ventilation in a post-COVID world. The webinar highlighted a need amongst the ISTR membership for help and support in understanding more about how ventilation and filtration works. A common message at the webinar was that members could often feel challenged when discussing issues with their Estates / Facilities colleagues because they didn’t necessarily have the background knowledge.

As a result of this feedback, we set up a series of workshops to try and address some of these concerns and to empower participating members. The 3 workshops covered everything from understanding the basics of ventilation and filtration, to current and future standards relating to Air Handling Units (AHUs) and filters/filtration and on to operational standards (ACDP, GMP etc.) and some system common outline designs. 

Following the success of the workshop series, ISTR donated £3,000 to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, as nominated by Camfil. Find out more about the important work of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust on their website.

Today, 28th January, we pause in memory of an ISTR member Dr. Rachel Coombe who was a Safety Adviser at the University of Cardiff and sadly passed away earlier this month.

Our website was changed to add a 'splash of pink', following her family’s wishes. On behalf of the Institute, the Executive Committee has also made a donation to St John's Ambulance Cardiff Central Division in her memory.

Rachel was part of the South-West, Midlands and Wales regional biosafety groups and had hosted regional biosafety meetings at Cardiff University in the past. She was a great believer in regional biosafety groups and the enormous benefits they can provide to biosafety professionals like herself. 

Rachel has been described by friends as someone who always had a smile and was a font of knowledge. She will be missed by all those who knew her.

We're pleased to advise that details of how to access the recordings of the presentations are expected to be sent to registered delegates during the week commencing 22 November. 

The 2021 AGM is being held online 16 November 2021, 5.30-6.30pm. Details to follow in due course.

ISTR Autumn Symposium, 16-19 November 2021

Engineering for Safety

Following last autumn's successful online event we have appointed Open Audience to deliver this year's Autumn Symposia 'Engineering for Safety'. More details and booking arrangements.

Engineering for Safety is wide-ranging topic and our programme reflects this. Our keynote presentation discusses the past, present and future containment of biological agents. While other speakers cover the challenges of ensuring the safe operation of aging or historical equipment, right through to the challenges of responding to the current Covid pandemic, including an insight into the HSE's role in this.  

The rise of task automation presents safety challenges as does monitoring and controlling airborne contaminants in a large teaching suite. Also we will hear about examples of collaborative working with non-safety professionals across an organisation in order to maintain a safe working environment. Whatever your discipline there will be opportunities to expand your knowledge and apply this to your own work situation.  

In addition, the ISTR Annual General Meeting will take place on Tuesday 16 November 5.30-6.30pm and members are encouraged to attend.Details will follow in due course.

A discussion on 'Influenceing the Design of Effective Building Ventilation in a Post Covid World'.

Links to documents shared during the discussion available here

The 2020 ISTR AGM was held on 18 November using Zoom. The reports presented are available here.

Two of our longstanding ISTR Executive Members, Heather Sheeley and Jayne Thomas stood down from the Executive Committee.  We thank them for their huge contributions to ISTR.

We welcome back Julia Cotton to the Executive Committee after a break of a few years and we welcome new to the Committee Alice Gallagher, Andy Minnis and Dev Agarwal.

Jon Gawn becomes the ISTR Chair Elect and will take over from our current Chair, Liz McMinn at the 2021 AGM.

Presentations from our September 2020 virtual Symposia Don't stand so close to me - working safely in a pandemic are available.

Dear ISTR members

The Executive Committee met virtually on 14 May as planned and unanimously agreed, supported by the Biosafety Steering Group (BSG), that the ISTR Autumn Symposium (Engineering for Safety) would be postponed until November 2021. It is anticipated that social distancing of some form will remain for the rest of 2020, making it impractical to go ahead as planned. It was also felt that it was not appropriate to encourage travel to Manchester from across the UK and beyond. The primary concern is always the protection of vulnerable individuals and our members. Furthermore, members who feel unable to travel, or anxious about the situation, should not miss out.

Whilst the symposium has been postponed, the AGM will still take place, albeit in virtual form, on 18 November as planned (followed by a virtual drinks reception) in line with the ISTR constitution.

We would like to reassure the membership that your Executive Committee and the BSG are committed to providing content and are working hard to deliver alternative events across the course of the year.

To that end, please put 8-10 September 2020 in your diaries for a virtual mini-symposium. This has the running title: ‘Don’t stand so close to me - working safely in research during a pandemic’. This will consist of a day of discussion groups followed by a social programme the following day and culminating in a plenary session on the third day to develop a useful resource for members. There will be a nominal charge for attendance, to include a donation to charity on behalf of ISTR. Watch this space for further details.

We are also working to reschedule the cancelled Spring and Summer Workshops and are consulting with Aurora and Camfil with respect to delivering online webinars and/or workshops.

Many thanks for your continued support and please do carry on supporting each other, especially in these circumstances. We look forward to ‘seeing’ you in September!

Liz McMinn (EC Chair) and Jon Gawn (BSG Chair).
On behalf of the EC and BSG