Services

GM And Biological Risk Assessment

Looking for “expertise in risk assessment for contained use” (*A requirement of Regulation 8 of the Genetic Modification (Contained Use) Regulations 2014)? As a specialist inspector for HSE and University Biological Safety Officer, Jon Gawn reviewed countless GM and COSHH biological risk assessments. Jon has even managed the HSE GM and Biological agents notification process, supervised reviews by inspectors and delivered masterclasses on reviewing GM risk assessments.
Whether you’re looking for a person to be your sole provider of expertise, or someone with unique knowledge and experience to a part of your own GM/Biological Safety Committee*, we have the knowledge and expertise to provide it.

Regulatory Advice

Are HSE coming to visit? We can ensure you’re prepared. Have HSE taken enforcement action against you? Jon Gawn can help you respond.
As a former Principal Specialist Inspector of Biological Agents for HSE, Jon is highly experienced in regulatory inspection, investigation and enforcement. He has a unique insight into how HSE operate, and can make sure you are ready for them when they come calling.

Accident and Incident Investigation

If you’ve had an accident or incident involving a biological agent or a GMO, you will be concerned and objective expert advice can be constructive. It is also a valuable opportunity to learn and improve for the future. Jon Gawn can help you do just that.
Jon can advise on how to handle the immediate aftermath of an accident or incident, and conduct a thorough investigation to identify both the immediate causes and underlying management system failings, adopting the same approach an HSE inspector would take.

Inspection and Audit

If you’re looking to ensure your systems are fit for purpose, or you’re just looking to improve your processes, then GMBSC Ltd can provide valuable and time-saving advice.
Jon Gawn can agree, prepare, deliver and report a targeted proactive inspection or audit of your containment laboratories and associated processes to suit your needs.

Safe Handling of Biological Agents

Jon Gawn started out is career as a research scientist working with viral pathogens and genetically modified organisms in academic, industrial and government labs. He has the insight into what it’s actually like to do this work. As an Inspector and University Biological Safety Officer, he has seen much more. If you need advice and guidance from someone with genuine expertise in working safely with biological agents, Jon can provide it.

Containment Laboratory Design, Operation and Management

If your setting up a lab, whether you’re doing it yourself or you’ve got contractors designing it for you, an independent and objective view can be invaluable. We can provide this and Jon can bring his many years of experience in overseeing new lab set-ups as an HSE inspector and University Biological Safety Officer to you. In particular, Jon can help you be ‘an intelligent customer’ when it comes to dealings with lab designers.

Containment Level 3 Lab Design and Commissioning

Jon Gawn has had oversight of the design and commissioning of high containment labs as an HSE Inspector. He has also overseen the design process of CL3 labs and commissioned a redesigned containment level 3 laboratory. Jon knows what it takes to ensure everything is working as it should, and will handle the unexpected. Jon can help you do the same for your any new facility you may have or may be considering.

Biosafety Learning and Development

Jon is really passionate about his speciality, and has delivered engaging and successful training courses for the European Biosafety Association, Institute for Safety in Technology In Research and the University of Manchester. Jon can deliver learning based upon his existing catalogue of materials or agree, prepare and deliver learning to suit your needs.

Jon can offer courses on GM risk rssessment, Classification and Notification; Review of GM risk assessment by a BSO/ GM Safety Committee; Wider BSO skills (Investigation; Monitoring; Advising Management and Briefing).
- Biosafety competence and competence management

Coaching and Mentoring

Jon Gawn has identified coaching as a valuable tool to improve the safety performance of a workforce, and therefore, an organisation. Jon is a qualified coach and mentor. He has successfully mentored new biosafety professionals, as well as coached senior experienced safety professionals to improve their approach and get the best out of themselves. This is a service on offer to your organisation too.

General Health and Safety Advice

Jon Gawn received training as a general safety inspector, and was also Deputy Head of Safety for a large University and so has a firm grounding in general safety requirements and issues, especially as they apply to research organisations. If you have a health and safety or wellbeing issue, Jon can help and advise.