Survey on the Status of Biosafety Awareness Among Domestic Biology Researchers

ABSTRACT

In this study, a survey was conducted to investigate the current status of biosafety awareness by each region, targeting domestic biology researchers. A total of 4 surveys were conducted from September 24 to October 2, 2013 in Kangwon province, Seoul Metropolitan area, Chungchong Province, and Gyeongsang Province, and 189 respondents participated in the survey. Of the survey respondents, 135 (71.4%) answered that “It is likely for an infection to happen in the laboratory” and 23 (12.2%) answered “highly likely”. However, as to the Risk Group and Biosafety Facility Level, only 24 (12.7%) and 25 (13.2%) of the respondents, respectively, responded “know them very well”. These results indicate that researchers are aware of the need for the concept of biosafety in laboratories, but they lack systematic education and publicity. Therefore, it will be necessary to develop a system that can systematically educate the regulations and compliance of biosafety.