To put it simply, biosafety is the safeguarding of the elements of the environment. An analysis of the risks associated with the environment, humans, animals, and plant life and the management of such risks is made strategically and in an integrated manner with biosafety. Having received his degree in zoology, Martin Lloyd Sanders is a biosafety and public health professional. His expertise is biological safety, occupational safety and health, field medical operations, and many others.
With the advent of the pandemic, biosafety has taken prominence and become a subject of interest for a lot of individuals. Protecting the environment at a time like this can only be made possible with the simultaneous study of biosafety and biosecurity. When the critical links between sectors are identified it acts as a basis for the preventive measures, while the possibility of any hazard which may have intense consequences throughout the system also forms a basis for biosafety.
Understanding the three primary concepts associated with biosecurity to remove even the slightest biological contaminationis crucial knowledge for Martin Lloyd Sanders, the Director of Safety. They are namely – biocontainment, biological hazard, and bio-protection.
The preventive measure taken to ensure that any disease does not get leaked from where it is being researched is known as Biocontainment. The risk of exposure that cannot be controlled and its consequential result of various ailments is termed as a biological hazard. The term bio-protection, on the other hand, refers to the prevention of the reckless handling of toxins and pathogens and other things. The risk of exposure of the masses to harmful diseases is rightly addressed with the help of this.
The guidelines that need to be followed with regard to Biosecurity to facilitate its optimum functioning, include:
- Proper education in the subject with clarity of understanding is crucial for those individuals handling biological hazards. Safety should be maintained in its handling both for the masses and the individuals themselves.
- The pathogenic microorganism could be contracted by every individual and make them a carrier. Thus making it mandatory for everyone to follow and maintain the biosafety measures.
- Safeguarding oneself with the help of both primary and secondary barriers is a compulsion. The primary barriers comprise the safety equipment, while the secondary barriers are the ventilation systems and hand washers. Making use of the available safety tool such as the vaccine is of great importance at this stage.
- The wastes ought to be accordingly disposed of, depending on what type of waste is being discharged
Biosafety can be applied in the following areas:
- Food – Safety towards food can be assessed with the usage of biosafety correctly. This opinion is given by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.
- Environment – A thorough study of biosafety takes the plant and animal diseases to ensure that any kind of infestation does not transfer from the animals to the humans.
- Livestock and agriculture – Biosafety professionals such as Martin Lloyd Sanders take it upon themselves to prevent the disease, if any, from passing from the livestock onto the society in any way.
Thereby it is quite evident that in-depth knowledge on biosafety is the easiest way to deal with the pandemic situation.
