July 9, 2004—The UK’s Health and Safety Commission (HSC) has published the latest version of the Approved List of Biological Agents. The list classifies biological agents (bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, and prions) into one of four hazard groups (HG) according to the following criteria:
- Their ability to cause infection (in otherwise healthy individuals);
- The severity of the disease that may result;
- The risk that infection will spread to the community; and
- The availability of effective vaccines and treatment.
The Approved List is a document that works in conjunction with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) to provide the regulatory framework controlling the risk from biological agents at work. A limited number of agents have been reclassified, removed, or added to the list, reflecting the most current scientific knowledge, such as the inclusion of the SARS virus as an HG3 agent.
The Approved List (.pdf file) is now available as an online publication only, on the HSE Web site. As with all online publications, readers are advised to frequently check the Web site to ensure information is as up to date as possible.
