Following a Review of Health, Safety, and Biosafety at the Institute, commissioned earlier this year by the Institute’s Trustee Board with the support of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as Pirbright’s strategic funder, the Trustee Board and Executive Directors of the Institute have accepted and will be implementing all recommendations in the Review Report.

As with other areas of activity, the Institute’s management are committed to ensuring that the Institute has the highest standards in health, safety and biosafety. Recent and ongoing improvements in these areas will be strengthened by implementation of the recommendations in this Review. The Trustee Board and Directors are holding meetings with staff, management and senior officials from the Health and Safety Executive to share the findings of the report, and are developing an action plan to improve health, safety and biosafety leadership, management, systems and processes, as well as aspects of oversight and governance as outlined in the Executive Summary of the Report.

The Trustee Board is confident that implementation of all the recommendations set out in the Report will facilitate further development of robust and effective systems and work practices enabling the Institute to provide its vital national capabilities and continue to deliver its global impact and its strong vision for the future.