Biological safety is the state of protection of people and individual components of the natural environment (atmospheric air, surface and groundwater, the earth’s surface and soil layer, flora and fauna and other organisms from dangerous biological factors, including those ensured by biological protection measures.
This is a system of medical and biological, organizational, engineering and technical measures aimed at protecting working personnel, the population and the environment from the effects of biological agents.
Pathogenic biological agent – microorganisms, poisons of biological and plant origin (toxins), helminths, nematodes that can cause an infectious and (or) parasitic process in the body of a person, animal or plant.
Principles of ensuring biological safety
1) handling pathogenic biological agents solely for non-military purposes: it is prohibited to handle pathogenic biological agents for the purposes of development, production and stockpiling, and the use of bacteriological (biological) and toxin weapons;
2) prevention, analysis and forecast of biological threats based on accounting and monitoring data in the field of biological safety;
3) control over handling of pathogenic biological agents: handling of pathogenic biological agents is carried out in accordance with the requirements in the field of biological safety;
4) preventive measures in the field of biological safety must be proportionate to the degree of danger of biological factors;
5) priority of national interests of the Republic of Kazakhstan: it is not permitted to accept obligations within the framework of international cooperation that do not correspond to the national interests of the Republic of Kazakhstan, that could damage the national security of the Republic of Kazakhstan or lead to the loss of independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
State regulation in the field of biological safety
1. The National Security Strategy of the Republic of Kazakhstan defines the main problems and threats, strategic goals, main directions, target indicators, objectives and performance indicators, interdepartmental interaction in the field of biological safety.
2. Ensuring prompt interdepartmental information exchange and taking coordinated measures in the field of biological safety.