Biological safety

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The Biological Safety is a German legal concept .

history

The first definition of "biological safety" originated in 1990 in the Genetic Engineering Act (GenTG). There, biological safety was used synonymously with genetic engineering safety. In terms of content, biological safety was linked through the tasks of the Central Commission for Biological Safety (ZKBS) and the Commissioner for Biological Safety (BBS). The Genetic Safety Ordinance (GenTSV) regulates the activities of the BBS for compliance with and monitoring of biological safety . The focus of biological safety is the safe handling and safe working of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). To this end, an independent research field has developed as a biological discipline, primarily in green genetic engineering - biological safety research.

With the Biostoffverordnung (BioStoffV) 1999, the terminology of biological substances or biological agents was introduced. Safe handling of these substances has become part of biological safety. The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) therefore made it clear in 2006 in the objective of the Technical Rules for Biological Agents (TRBA) 100 that "this TRBA defines the structural, technical and organizational minimum requirements for biological safety in laboratories for four protection levels that are required for activities involving biological agents of various risk groups. The requirements are intended to reduce to a minimum the hazards for employees that may result from activities involving biological agents. ”This extends the meaning of biological safety, not least to ward off biological hazards in the workplace and for society. Widespread compliance with biological safety outside of laboratories is important to protect the population. Therefore, there are special research priorities for the defense against biological hazards. B. the Center for Biological Hazards and Special Pathogens at the Robert Koch Institute .

Areas of application

The biological safety must be monitored or checked wherever activities are carried out according to BiostoffV. This is:

  1. the use of biological materials, in particular the isolation, production and propagation, the breaking down, the use and consumption, the handling and processing, the filling and decanting, the mixing and separating as well as the in-house transport, the keeping including the storage, the Inactivate and dispose of as well
  2. professional work with people, animals, plants, products, objects or materials, if biological substances occur or are released as a result of this work and employees can come into contact with them.

Conceptual analogy

In the English-speaking world, the term biosafety is used analogously to biological safety. The agreement in terms of content is extensive. Often the word biosafety is translated directly into biosafety . The prefix Bio- is used in numerous connections in German-speaking countries; usually for production processes e.g. B. of food . The word biosecurity can therefore be misleading.

Technical overlaps

Extensive content-related overlaps between the BioStoffV and the Infection Protection Act (IfSG) have practical consequences, particularly when dealing with microorganisms for everyday laboratory and work and thus for biological safety, e.g. B. in the approval of laboratories. Knowledge of molecular biology and microbiology as well as the biocide ordinance (Biocid Ordinance) and hygiene ordinances are now part of the tools of biological safety and thus of protecting against biological dangers.

The close cooperation with health authorities and various departments of the district governments facilitate approval (according to GenTV, BioStoffV, IfSG) and work in the areas in which biological safety is checked daily.

literature

Web links