Launch of Bio risk Management Audits Scope

Launch of Bio-risk Management Audits Scope

The Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC) is pleased to announce the expansion of our Accreditation Scheme for Auditing Organisation (AO) to include the scope of Bio-risk Management Audits with effect from 24 July 2024.  

SAC’s Bio-risk Management Audits programme supports the industries and the relevant regulatory authorities such as Ministry of Health (MOH) to level up capabilities of bio-facilities in the management of biosafety and biosecurity, and to ensure workplace health and safety. The programme aims to build a network of recognised 3rd party AOs that will provide assurance that Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) facilities will be audited with professionalism, consistency, and integrity in accordance with SAC and relevant regulatory criteria, in addition with the relevant technical aspects such as biorisk administration, management and biocontainment engineering. The programme will enhance the rigour and veracity of audit outcomes delivered by recognised AOs.

Certifiers providing auditing and certification services to BSL-3 facilities which are regulated by MOH under the Biological Agents and Toxins Act, will be required to be accredited by SAC within 6 months from the date of the launch of this scheme. The SS 696:2023 Specification for high containment (biosafety level 3) facility will set the certification or auditing requirements of BSL-3 facilities. More information regarding BSL-3 certification or audit information can be found on the website of the respectively regulatory authorities. 

 Interested AOs will be assessed based on CT 17 – SAC Criteria for Accreditation of Auditing Organisations under Auditing Organisation Accreditation Scheme. The specific requirements for Bio-risk Management Audits AOs are detailed in Appendix 4 of SAC CT 17.

Application for accreditation is now open through the SAC accreditation portal, SACINET

Please contact your account manager for more details.