Biosafety Cabinets

• Biosafety Cabinets (BSCs) are designed to safely contain biological hazards. Choosing the right BSC should be based on a risk assessment of all biological and chemical hazards involved with the work. 
• BSCs must not be confused with chemical fume hoods, laminar flow hoods, or tissue culture hoods. In most cases, BSCs and chemical fume hoods have distinctly different functions and cannot be used interchangeably. Chemical fume hoods and laminar flow hoods do not provide personal protection against biological hazards. 

Decontamination procedures for BSCs:

• Biosafety cabinets must be properly decontaminated prior to: 
  • certification technician's arrival
  • any service visit for in site repairs
  • moves within a building
  • daily after each work session
• Disinfect the BSC by applying your agent-specific disinfectant to all work surfaces, including the cabinet's sides, back, and the interior of the glass. Follow the label directions for proper dilution and contact time. We recommend using 10% bleach for 10 minutes, followed by a 70% ethanol rinse to remove bleach residue and prevent corrosion. 
• Ultraviolet (UV) lamps should not be used as the sole disinfection method in a BSC. The NIH, CDC, and NSF/ANSI agree that UV lamps are not recommended as numerous factors can affect the performance of UV lights. UV bulbs must be maintained and evaluated regularly to ensure germicidal activity. 
• Gas or vapor decontamination of the entire unit (including inaccessible areas--plenums, etc.) by a qualified contractor is required:
  • prior to a major relocation to another building, campus, state, country, etc.
  • prior to going to surplus 
  • after receiving extensive repairs
  • following a high-volume spill 
  • if the unit will be used in a lower containment lab (e.g., from BSL-3 to BSL-2)
• If you need assistance in determining whether whole-unit decontamination is needed, or for information on scheduling decontamination service with a contractor, contact EHS.
• Whenever you have decontaminated a BSC (by either method listed above), you must attach a completed Lab Equipment Decontamination Form to the unit prior to the date you are expecting the movers, certification vendor, etc. Please follow the directions on the back of the form.

HEPA filters:

• The HEPA filters are important features of the BSC, capturing potentially infectious particles from your work as well as room air contaminants. HEPA filters should be replaced by the BSC's service provider as needed which is why BSCs also require annual certification.
• The HEPA-filtered directional airflow in a BSC: 
  1. Protects the work material from contaminants,
  2. Protects the worker from exposure to aerosols, and
  3. Protects the environment.

Room location:

• Room location is important to the proper functioning of a BSC:
  • Ideally, BSCs should occupy lab space that is removed from other work areas, especially high traffic areas. 
  • The cabinet should be placed 12-14 inches from the ceiling and walls.
  • The cabinet should be placed away from windows, air supply vents, the lab features creating air movement (chemical fume hoods, centrifuges, vacuum pumps), and entry points into the lab.
• For more information please refer to the NIH Design Requirement Manual (Appendix A).

Required certification:

• All BSCs must be certified before being used and annually thereafter.
• While VT users may have any NSF40 certified technician certify, or service their BSC, Campus has negotiated cheaper contracts through the following certifiers:  
  • Keystone Certifications (VTS-1474-2021) - info@keystonect.com | (866) 477 - 2498
    • Skeet Becker, Client Relations Manager | skeet@mckee-env.com | (757) 901 - 9706
    • Ty Turner, Certifier | ty@keystonect.com | (757) 901 - 9710 
  • Technical Safety Service LLC (VTS-1476-2021)
    • Eric Sparks | esparks@techsafety.com | (856) 449 - 2226
    • Kathy Stewart | kstewart@techsafety.com | (919) 957 - 4141