The German technical regulation covering safety engineering of hazardous substances (TRGS 300) describes an approach to the consideration of safety in plant handling hazardous substances. No comparable regulation has so far been adopted for biotechnological plant. This article examines the extent to which the fundamental concepts of TRGS 300 might be applicable to biotechnological installations. To this end, the properties of the substances (biological agents and hazardous substances) and the various components of the two kinds of plant are examined. An initial partial transfer of the safety engineering principles and the associated safety requirements of TRGS 300 to biotechnological plant is undertaken. This rather coarse approach does not reveal any reasons why a modified version of TRGS 300 should not be applicable to biotechnological installations.