Biosafety guidelines are a set of policies, rules, and procedures necessary to observe by personnel working in various facilities handling microbiological agents such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, prions, and other related agents and microbiological products..
Hand washing after handling biologicals and potentially hazardous materials, after taking off gloves and before leaving the lab.
Avoiding hand-to-face (or mouth) contact.
No eating, drinking, smoking, or applying cosmetics in the lab.
Disinfecting work surfaces daily and decontaminating after spills..
Essential components of the biosafety guidelines contain some or all the following, depending on the facility: bio-risk assessment and identification; specific biosafety measures, which cover the code of practice, physical plant such as laboratory design and facilities, equipment acquisition and maintenance, medical .
The Biosafety Guidelines of Bangladesh are intended to provide a framework, legally binding under the Biosafety Rules of Bangladesh, to permit the development of biotechnology in accordance with a biosafety review to assess any risks to the environment as well as human and animal health..
The Framework provides the basis for developing a regulatory regime on biosafety for effective management of GMOs in Bangladesh.
NBF has been structured in accordance with the UNEP/GEF proposed format into six main chapters..
There are texts, guidelines, and standards on biosafety at the laboratory level and for industrial hygiene, but no guidelines for large-scale production facilities.
In fact, biosafety is largely defined as a field that promotes safe laboratory practices, procedures and use of containment equipment and facilities.
The Biosafety Guidelines of Bangladesh provides information that would be required at a minimum for import and export of GMOs as per Annex I and II of the CPBand these are annexed in Annex 3 of the NBF.
In 1995, Bhutan became party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); and in 2002 ratified the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB).
The Biosafety Act of Bhutan was enacted in 2015, and Biosafety Rules and Regulations in 2018.
BAFAR is the national competent authority for the implementation and enforcement of the biosafety legislations.
Food safety Programme –a collaborative programme of Govt. of Bangladesh and WHO is being implemented in Bangladesh since 1994.Under the Food Safety Programme.
The major activities are- Strengthening of Public Health Laboratory of the Institute of Public Health, Dhaka Procurement of instruments, equipment and chemicals .
