Types of Controlled Activities Conducted Under Your Licence

The biological safety officer is responsible for overseeing biosafety and biosecurity practices related to a Pathogen and Toxin Licence. As the primary contact, the biological safety officer communicates with the Centre for Biosecurity on behalf of the licence holder.

The biological safety officer must be fully aware of all controlled activities involving human pathogens or toxins that take place in their organization, including:

•        possessing, handling or using a human pathogen or toxin
•        producing a human pathogen or toxin
•        storing a human pathogen or toxin
•        permitting any person access to a human pathogen or toxin
•        transferring a human pathogen or toxin
•        importing or exporting a human pathogen or toxin
•        releasing or otherwise abandoning or disposing of a human pathogen or toxin

Unless exempted or excluded, you must not conduct a controlled activity without a licence issued by the Minister to authorize that activity. The biological safety officer must ensure that every activity is authorized under the organization's Pathogen and Toxin Licence.

If your organization wishes to conduct an activity that isn't listed on the Pathogen and Toxin Licence, the biological safety officer must submit a request for a licence variation through the Biosecurity Portal. To report an activity not authorized by the Pathogen and Toxin Licence, the biological safety officer must submit a notification report through the Biosecurity Portal.

• Access the Biosecurity Portal

Contact the licensing team at licence.permis@phac-aspc.gc.ca if you have any questions.