The Importance of Applying Biosafety in Laboratories in Brazil

O Working in laboratories poses risks because they contain various agents that are harmful to the health of professionals, especially in activities that involve biological risk. Biosafety is indispensable in the daily lives of professionals working in laboratories, as it describes actions to prevent and minimize risks to human health and the environment. However, even with the existence of biosafety rules, various types of accidents still occur in laboratory environments. The aim of this study was to describe the importance of the practical application of a biosafety program in reducing accidents inherent in laboratory activities aimed at teaching, research, production, health, and the provision of services. Methods: The literature search was conducted using the following terms: “Biosafety”; “Health”; “Laboratory”, and as connectors “and”; “or”, in the following databases: PubMed; LILACS/BIREME and SciELO. Results: A total of 752 articles were identified in the databases, and eighteen of these studies were included in this review. Conclusion: The practical implementation of a biosafety program in laboratory environments is extremely important and necessary to increase preventive practices related to risks and consequently reduce and/or eliminate accidents inherent to laboratory activities aimed at teaching, research, production, health, and service provision.