Protection against biohazards

Biological hazard, or biohazard, is the international term for biological substances or organisms such as micro-organisms, viruses, bacteria or fungi that pose a threat to human health and the environment.

Biohazards are feared widely. They are unpredictable, difficult to detect because they occur invisibly and in silence and there is usually a time lapse between the initiating incident and first effects.

It is even more important to implement the highest safety precautions in places where such substances and organisms are handled. In particular, laboratories and research units must take the greatest care to seal off any channels through which biohazards could spread.