Choosing Right Biosafety Cabinet for Your Laboratory

Choosing Right Biosafety Cabinet For Your Laboratory

Working with biohazardous materials in a laboratory requires the use of a biosafety cabinet to ensure the safety of lab personnel and the environment. Selecting the right biosafety cabinet for your laboratory is crucial and requires a thorough evaluation of the risks and hazards associated with the work being done. In this blog post, we will discuss the key factors that should be considered when choosing a biosafety cabinet for your laboratory.

Choosing the Right Biosafety Cabinet:

Choosing the right biosafety cabinet involves evaluating factors such as the type of materials used, the risk level of the work, the volume of materials, and the work practices and procedures. Physical characteristics of the cabinet, including size, airflow patterns, and filter type, should also be taken into account. Evaluating these factors will help laboratory managers select the most appropriate biosafety cabinet for their laboratory, ensuring the safety of personnel, the environment, and the integrity of research.

Key Factors to Consider When Buying or Upgrading:

When buying or upgrading a biosafety cabinet, primary considerations should always be safety and preservation of samples. Size, price, and operating costs are also important considerations. Ergonomics, usability, customization, and available options should also be taken into account. Modern Class II BSCs have more stringent design requirements and may provide increased safety compared to older models. Look for a cabinet that compensates for normal filter loading and alarms if airflows change too much. Reconsider the need for external exhaust, which can be expensive and complex to operate safely. Consider energy efficiency and the total cost of ownership. 

• Primary considerations should always be the safety and preservation of samples. 
• Factors such as size, price, and operating costs are also important considerations. 
• Ergonomics, usability, customization, and available options should also be considered. 
• Modern Class II BSCs have more stringent design requirements and may provide increased safety compared to older models. 
• Look for a cabinet that compensates for normal filter loading and alarms if airflows change too much. 
• Reconsider the need for external exhaust, which can be expensive and complex to operate safely. 
• Consider energy efficiency and the total cost of ownership. 

To make an informed selection and select a biosafety cabinet that best matches your laboratory’s unique demands, it is critical to thoroughly analyze all of these criteria. Keep in mind that safety should always come first. 

Maintaining and Using Biosafety Cabinets:

To keep biosafety cabinets running smoothly, proper maintenance and use are crucial. Have your Class II cabinet certified regularly to ensure it follows the NSF/ANSI Standard #49-2009, which ensures both the safety of the user and the sterility of the work. The “Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) 5th Edition” by the CDC and NIH is an excellent resource for understanding the unique features of your cabinet. Routine maintenance should include field certification of your Class II BSC at least once a year.

Selecting a Biological Safety Cabinet:

When purchasing a biological safety cabinet, it is important to consider the type of work that will be conducted within it. Table 1 provides an overview of Ai Biosafety Cabinets’ specifications for all size units to help you make an informed decision. Thoroughly evaluating these factors will help ensure that you choose a biosafety cabinet that is the right fit for your laboratory’s specific needs.

Choosing, upgrading, and maintaining a biosafety cabinet is critical to ensure safety for laboratory workers and the environment. By evaluating factors such as the type of agents or materials used, risk level of the work, volume of materials, and work practices and procedures, laboratory managers can choose the most suitable biosafety cabinet. Additionally, it’s crucial to have the biosafety cabinet certified regularly and conduct routine maintenance to ensure it’s running properly. Contact us for NSF49 Certified BSC Equipment, we also offer the calibration service for more laboratory equipment.