Biosafety Level

**Semantic type:** Intellectual Product

**Definition:** Guidelines for the four levels of protective measures required for handling potentially dangerous biological agents. Each level is defined by the potential of an agent to cause disease, the severity of the disease and the mode of transmission. These guidelines consist of recommendations for best practices, safety equipment, laboratory techniques, and facility design features to achieve appropriate biosafety and biocontainment. They also include safeguards designed to protect laboratory personnel, the surrounding environment and the community.

**Synonyms:** - BSL - Biosafety Containment Level - Laboratory Biosafety Level