Health Emergency Preparedness and Response
SSBA Guidelines
The SSBA Guidelines have been developed to support the SSBA Regulatory Scheme.
Stakeholders are welcome to suggest areas of interest that may warrant the development of further Guidelines. Suggestions may be sent to ssba@health.gov.au for consideration. A list of current SSBA Guidelines can be found below.
Guideline 1 Entities and Facilities – October 2011
This guideline provides information to entities, facilities and individuals to determine what is an entity or facility for the purposes of the SSBA Regulatory Scheme.
Guideline 2 Registered Facility Reporting Requirements – October 2011
This guideline provides information to registered entities and facilities about the reporting requirements under the SSBA Regulatory Scheme and contains several flow charts.
Guideline 3 Handling a Person or Animal, or Samples from a Person or Animal, Affected By an SSBA – October 2011
This guideline provides information to entities, facilities and individuals to help interpret the NHS Regulations when handling samples from a person or animal affected by an SSBA.
Guideline 4 Defining Loss, Theft and Accidental Release of SSBAs – October 2011
This guideline outlines the circumstances that may distinguish between the loss, theft or accidental release of an SSBA. This guideline does not set out the legal definitions of loss, theft or accidental release. Rather, it provides information to entities, facilities and individuals about their obligations in situations in which an SSBA is lost or stolen or accidentally released during its handling at a facility.
Guideline 5 Reporting to Law Enforcement or the National Security Hotline – October 2011
This guideline provides an overview of the process that should be undertaken if an entity or facility has an incident that must be reported to law enforcement or should be reported to the National Security Hotline.
Guideline 6 SSBA Toxins – October 2011
This guideline provides information to entities and facilities about handling toxins on the List of SSBAs, the reportable quantities for toxins on the List of SSBAs and when to register for a Tier 1 and/or a Tier 2 SSBA if handling Clostridium botulinum.
Guideline 7 SSBAs in the Natural Environment - October 2011
This guideline provides general information to entities, facilities and individuals who have concerns regarding their obligations for SSBAs occurring in the natural environment. The inadvertent possession of SSBAs, which are found naturally in the environment, is not intended to be regulated under the SSBA Regulatory Scheme.
Guideline 8 Transporting SSBAs and Suspected SSBAs – October 2011
This guideline provides information to facilities transporting confirmed or suspected SSBAs. Transfer of an SSBA is a reportable event and the sending and the receiving facilities must report the transfer. The transport guideline provides entities and facilities with a practical checklist covering the requirements for transferring both confirmed and suspected SSBAs.
Guideline 9 Non-Registered Facility Reporting and Requirements – October 2011
This guideline provides information about the reporting and other general requirements for a non-registered facility that receives an SSBA or biological agent suspected of being an SSBA (suspected SSBA).
Guideline 10 SSBA Regulatory Scheme Monitoring Inspections – May 2012
This guideline provides information to facilities about what to expect when scheduled to undergo a monitoring inspection. It provides detail about what pre-inspection actions are required, outlines what is covered during the inspection process itself, and explains potential post-inspection.
Guideline 11 SSBAs and Other Regulatory Schemes - March 2012
This guideline provides information on providing access to secure SSBA areas or information that is considered sensitive under the SSBA Regulatory Scheme to other regulatory schemes.
The Australian Federal Police, including the Australian Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Data Centre, assisted the Department of Health and Ageing by preparing the following two guidelines to assist entities handling SSBA.
- Toxin levels in environmental and clinical samples
- Indicators of Suspicious Behaviour in Laboratories Handling SSBA
If you would like a copy of either of these guidelines please apply to ssba@health.gov.au
