< PreviousHEALTH, SAFETY AND HYGIENE 30 Pharma Business International www.pbiforum.net health and safety process can be a challenge, because while everyone knows to be careful around incredibly deadly diseases like E.Coli and Ebola, the same care may not be taken for less dangerous ones – and those can cause problems for a business just as much as the infectious diseases. Health and safety experts recommend a ground-up approach, beginning with creating a spotless facility, then turning to an operations overhaul. This ensures that any operational changes won’t be wasted in a less than gold-standard environment. Creating a hygienic environment commences with designing and maintaining the facility, considering various essential factors. Firstly, the layout should be carefully planned to establish a smooth and logical flow of operations, effectively separating areas for storing raw materials from those dedicated to testing or manufacturing. Staff should ideally not need to cross over one another except in rare circumstances. Secondly, it is crucial to utilize construction materials that are non-toxic and easy to clean, thereby reducing the risk of microbial growth. Additionally, ensuring adequate ventilation is vital to prevent condensation and minimize the presence of airborne contaminants. Proper lighting is also essential to facilitate clear visibility during operations. Lastly, the implementation of regular cleaning schedules and procedures, which encompass the sanitization of equipment, floors, walls, and drains, is necessary to uphold cleanliness within the facility. The next step would be to create a training plan for staff. Maintaining high hygiene standards relies on the dedication and attentiveness of well- © stock.adobe.com/kokliang1981Pharma Business International 31 www.pbiforum.net HEALTH, SAFETY AND HYGIENE trained staff. Ensuring personnel hygiene involves several key guidelines. First, it is essential to encourage employees to uphold personal cleanliness standards by practicing regular handwashing, maintaining proper grooming habits, and wearing clean protective clothing. Second, providing comprehensive training and education on hygiene practices, encompassing material handling, personal hygiene, and the identification of potential contaminants, is crucial. In pharma, most material could be considered a contaminant, but it is better to be clear on that than not. In the event that something does go wrong, there obviously needs to be a procedure in place, and staff should be run through drills on a semi-regular basis. How often this is will have to depend on the company in question, but it may be wise to have a refresher course soon after any new employees begin, both to teach them the process and make sure the older members aren’t slipping into bad habits. Maintaining and checking PPE should also be a component of any good health and safety plan, and care should be taken to make sure PPE is being checked either at the end or beginning of a week at the very least – more often if possible. The danger here lays in employees glossing over the job to clock out early, so it may be wise to have individuals set to do the task and sign off on it, which should serve to create more of a sense of personal responsibility. Alternatively, bringing in new PPE could be a feasible, if expensive, alternative. © stock.adobe.com/GorodenkoffAI in Drug Discovery 11 - 12 March London, UK Hear first-hand the latest AI advancements across the pharmaceutical sector directly from experts in the field and obtain strategies to support your operations at the highly anticipated AI in Drug Discovery conference. Driven by a move towards personalised therapies and novel drug candidates, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has taken the lead in technological advancement across the pharmaceutical sector. Increased efficiency of the drug discovery process, through innovations including automation, in-silico modelling, and machine learning, accelerate growth in an ever-expanding field, focused on revolutionising modern healthcare. LogiPharma 16 - 18 April Lyon, France As the world’s leading life sciences supply chain event, only at LogiPharma can you benchmark with the global leaders in supply chain, operations, logistics, distribution, and digital transformation from top pharmaceutical and medical device producers. Join your peers for three inspiring days where you’ll learn from best-in-class strategic and operational thinkers, be part of thought-provoking Pharma EVENTS © stock.adobe.com/ huenstructurebio.com © stock.adobe.com/ leowolfert 32 Pharma Business International www.pbiforum.net World ADC London 12 - 15 March London, UK Antibody-drug conjugates are coming of age with a remarkable surge in recent times, that has marked a turning point in their development. As such, the 14th World ADC London returns in March. This will be the first opportunity in the new year to explore monumental wins, reflect on ongoing challenges, and collaborate on innovative strategies to supercharge all stages of ADC development. Pre-Filled Syringes and Injectable Drug Devices East Coast 22 - 24 April Boston, USA The 11th Annual Pre-Filled Syringes East debates, find practical solutions, and share your pain points in small, interactive peer-to- peer working groups. Dermatology Drug Development Summit Europe 16 - 18 April Berlin, Germany The huge unmet need for more efficacious and durable therapies in inflammatory- mediated dermatological diseases reinforces the critical importance for the community to unite at the 5th Dermatology Drug Development Summit Europe, to collaboratively address the prevailing barriers facing pipeline progression and patient access in Europe. CPHI Japan 17 - 19 April Tokyo, Japan CPHI Japan is the ultimate meeting place for suppliers and buyers from the entire pharmaceutical supply chain. As Japan’s leading pharmaceutical exhibition, this event brings leading pharma professionals together to network, learn and conduct vital face-to- face business. Coast Conference will return to Boston in April 2024 to bring you the latest advances in the combination product drug delivery space. The 2024 conference will be bigger and better than ever, bringing you three days of expertise, comprising of a pre- conference focus day exploring the advances in PFS design for enhanced drug delivery proceeded by a two-day main conference with morning keynote plenaries and parallel afternoon topic streams addressing the industry’s hottest topics through case studies and industry insights. This event will not only bring you key insights needed to expand and enhance your injectable device portfolio but will also give you the opportunity to network with key players throughout the industry. Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s Drug Development Summit 23 - 25 April Boston, USA The 12th Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s Drug Development Summit is indisputably the ultimate industry-focused meeting dedicated to sharing the hottest unpublished AD & PD research from senior biopharma KOLs you won’t hear anywhere else, with deep-dive content all the way from early discovery through to late phase trials and approvals. www.pbiforum.net Pharma Business International 33 DigiPharma Connect 11 - 13 March Hilton Head Island, USA DigiPharma Connect is an exclusive, senior-level conference for digital marketing executives from top pharma and biotech companies. This event allows you to come together with your peers to network, meet with relevant vendors, and discuss cutting- edge trends in the industry. © stock.adobe.com/ Naeblys EUROGIN 13 - 16 March Stockholm, Sweden EUROGIN is the world’s leading international congress on HPV infections and associated cancers with a focus on prevention and diagnostics. The event aims at translating scientific and evidence-based research into clinical practice through its high-quality and innovative program drawn up by outstanding international leaders. The conference offers a forum to exchange knowledge and experience with peers from all over the world. FEATURES Transport & Logistics Labelling, Coding & Marking End of Line Packaging Clinical Trials Waste Management Next issue: Deadline - 27th March 2024 REGULARS News Events M&A Round-up Eye On Approvals Visit us at www.pbiforum.net where you’ll find the latest news as it breaks – and why not subscribe to our newsletters so you can have the latest news emailed to your inbox, in between digital issues? @pbiforumwww.pbiforum.netcompany/pbiforumNext >