Biosafety is a set of actions directed to the prevention, minimization or elimination of risks that could jeopardize the human's and animal's health and of the environment. The first debates about biosafety were held in the early 1970's due to the outbreak of transmissible diseases and to the concern to the safety in laboratory arenas. In Brazil, the regulations to activities related to these areas began in 1995 with the formation of the National Technical Biosafety whose functions are the inspection of the manipulated Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and of the laboratory arena safety. This review describes the biosafety concepts and their applicability known in order to improve the human safety as well as the environment in related issues to the research activities, production, teaching, technological development and given service.