Around 50 professionals and scientists from Uzbekistan governmental institutions and national agencies are discussing, together with the Working Package 4 team of technical experts of the European Union’s Centers of Excellence for the prevention, protection and mitigation against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) risks and threats, the most recent approaches towards a safe and sustainable management of hazardous biological waste in locations affected by biological risk due to COVID-19, via videoconference.

The event, organized within the framework of a part of Project 65 on “Strengthening chemical and biological waste management in Central Asian countries for improved security and safety risk mitigation”, has kicked off on November 30, 2020. 

The current worldwide health emergency situation and specific requests from national partner agencies prompted the EU experts to pay a special attention to the most recent methods for a correct identification, handling and disposal of hazardous waste materials generated in production sites potentially affected by the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen. A focus is also necessary on best practices for a safe management of contaminated streams of waste, that have rapidly grown at global level in the last months, due to the dramatic diffusion of the pandemic.

Experts from the Italian National Research Council, CNR-SCITEC, and from FORMIT Foundation in Rome, in collaboration with the National Focal Point for the Republic of Uzbekistan Otabek Kasimov, Regional Secretariat of the CBRN Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence initiative, will present to participants the prevention and protection strategies for the safe handling and treatment of hazardous solid and liquid waste. The 2-day-long training session is taking place via webinar to comply with the current international strict travel limitations.

The course also included training modules on sanitation chemical solutions to mitigate the diffusion of the novel coronavirus on waste materials, the use of adequate Personal Protective Equipment to operate in COVID-19-contaminated areas and biosafety aspects linked to this still poorly-known pathogenic agent.

Following the webinar, participants will receive certificates of attendance.

The training session is part of the EU CBRN Project no. 65 CABICHEM on “Strengthening chemical and biological waste management in Central Asia countries for improved security and safety risk mitigation”, carried out in five partner countries of Central Asia.

Press Service of the State Committee on Industrial Safety 

of the Republic of Uzbekistan