Between January and June 2026, ERM, in collaboration with the UKBSA, presented a six-part webinar series introducing process safety principles from traditional high-hazard industries and showed how they apply to high-containment and life sciences laboratories. Each session covered one practical topic, with guidance from industry experts on recognised standards and good practice.

Recordings of all six sessions are available on the ISTR YouTube channel  https://www.youtube.com/@ISTRSafety

Session 1 (21 January): Introduction to Process Safety in Life Sciences, Chemical Compatibility and Storage. A brief introduction to process safety, followed by handling flammable substances and applying ATEX regulations.

Session 2 (18 February): Applying Process Hazard Analysis to Lab Facilities: HAZOP/SWIFT. Using well-established risk assessment techniques to conduct a process hazard analysis, with specific examples.

Session 3 (18 March): Safety Critical Systems: Automated Systems and IEC 61511. How safety critical systems keep process plant in a safe state, and how the IEC 61511 standard applies.

Session 4 (15 April): Cybersecurity for Operational Technology (OT)/for Industrial Automation and Control Systems (IACS) in Laboratory Settings: Safeguarding Automation and Control System. Cybersecurity risk assessments for industrial automated control systems, and the application of HSE guidance OG86.

Session 5 (20 May): Machinery Safety in Laboratories: PUWER, Guarding, and Human Interaction. Machinery safety risk assessments and how they apply to laboratory equipment.

Session 6 (17 June): The Critical Window: Emergency Response in the First 20 Minutes. The main principles of emergency response, from preparedness through to recovery after an incident.