CONCEPT
Biosafety Levels
The four-tier framework (BSL-1 through BSL-4) used in biomedical research to match containment measures to pathogen risk — the direct institutional model for AI Safety Levels.
Biosafety levels are the four-tier framework used in biomedical and microbiological research to match containment measures to the risks posed by specific pathogens. BSL-1 covers agents that do not cause disease in healthy adults and can be handled with standard laboratory practices. BSL-2 covers agents of moderate hazard, requiring protective clothing and biosafety cabinets. BSL-3 covers indigenous or exotic agents that may cause serious disease through inhalation, requiring controlled access, ventilated work areas, and medical surveillance. BSL-4 covers dangerous and exotic agents that pose high risk of life-threatening disease — the most stringent containment, with personnel in positive-pressure suits and airlocked facilities. The framework, developed over decades by the CDC and WHO, represents the most mature prospective risk-management framework in any scientific domain.
