BIOLOGICAL SAFETY CABINET TRAINING

Ethiopian Public
Health Institute
Basic concepts
Biological safety cabinets

By: Beyan Ahmed

December 24,2020
Adama
Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Public

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 Objective
After completion of the training, participants will be able to:
 Describe purpose of biological safety cabinet
 Identify the types of biological safety cabinet
 Explain working principle of biological safety cabinet
 Identify main parts of Biological safety cabinets
 Perform maintenance and troubleshooting
 Handle biological safety cabinet with appropriate care
 Implement proper safety precautions during biological safety cabinet
maintenance

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 Out line

 Introduction
 Purpose of Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC)
 Operation principle of biological safety cabinet
 Types or classes of Biological safety cabinets
 Main parts of Biological safety cabinets
 Basic maintenance and troubleshooting
 BSC's safety
 Summary

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Introduction

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cont.…
 Its is biosafety cabinet or microbiological safety cabinet
(MSC)
 A containment device equipped with HEPA filter(s),
architected and designed to provide personnel,
environment and/or product protection from biohazards.

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Purpose of BSC

Personal protection or operator

Product protection or sample
Environmental protection

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Principle of Operation

ventilated enclosure offering protection to the

user, the product and the environment .
 It has a front glass window of adjustable
height,
a ventilation system with an electrical motor, a
ventilator and a set of ducts
Generate a negative pressure and positive
pressure condition inside the cabinet.

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Types or classes of Biological safety cabinets

Biological safety cabinet classes are categories

based on how the cabinet works and what it
protects are as follow:
Class I,
 Class II and
Class III.

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Class I BSC’s
 ventilated cabinet which used for personnel
and environmental protection only.

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Class II BSC’s

ventilated cabinet for personnel, product and

environmental protection from microbiological
open front with inward airflow (personnel
protection),
downward HEPA-filtered laminar airflow
(product protection or cross contamination)
HEPA-filtered exhaust air (primary and
secondary environmental protection)

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Types class II
 These cabinets are further differentiated by
types based on construction, airflow and
exhaust systems.
Class II A1,
Class II A2,
Class II B1 and
Class II B2.

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 Class II A1
minimum average inflow velocity of 75 fpm
0.38m/s through the sash opening
They may exhaust HEPA-filtered air back into
the lab, or may be exhaust outside using a
canopy connection

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Class II A2
maintain a minimum average inflow velocity
of 100 fpm or 0.51m/s through the sash
opening
may exhaust HEPA-filtered air back into the
laboratory, or may be exhausted outside using
a canopy connection

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Class II B1
Class II, Type B1 cabinet must maintain a
minimum average inflow velocity of 100 fpm
or 0.51m/s through the sash opening.
They have HEPA-filtered down flow air
composed of mostly uncontaminated re-
circulated inflow air

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 Class II B2
maintain a minimum average inflow velocity
of 100 fpm or 0.51m/s through the sash
opening.
 They have HEPA-filtered down flow air drawn
from the lab to the outside air (not re-
circulation in the cabinet)
referred to as 100% exhaust or total exhaust
cabinets.

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Class III BSC’s
designed for work with level 4 biological
agents and provide maximum protection.
The cabinet is gas tight with a non-opening
view window, and has rubber gloves attached
to ports in the cabinet that allow for
manipulation of materials in the cabinet

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Main parts of BSC

 Cabinet Pressure Plenums

 HEPA/ULPA filters
 Electrical component
 Motor or Blower
 fluorescent lamps
 Electronic Ballast
 UV lights(Optional
 Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter
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Cont.…
• Diffuser ,
• Damper
• Pressure gage

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Pressure plenum
• The cabinet work area which is surrounded by
negative pressure and provide the positive
pressure.

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 HEPA Filter
Capture the infectious particles and ensure
that only clean air is extracted from BSC

HEPA : High Efficiency

Particulate Air

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Electrical component
motor
capacitor
speed controller
switches
airflow or pressure relays
ballasts
transformer
fuses and
circuit breakers electrical out lets and bulbs.
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S/No BIOLOGICAL SAFETY CABINETS Checklist √=correct, ×=not correct

 
1            
The cabinet is cleaned and disinfected
2 Pressure differential across filters test            
3 Smoke pattern airflow test            
4 HEPA filters efficiency test            
5 Check UV light intensity            
6 Down flow Air velocity Test            
7   Inflow air velocity (face velocity ) test            
8 Exhaust air volume/ velocity test            
9 HELPA filters leakage test            
10 Cabinet leak test            
11 Zone air flow uniformity tests            
12 Proper functioning of fans observation            
13 Alarm displays            

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Test Related to Containment or Certification
 Down flow Velocity Profile Test
Product Protection
 Inflow Velocity Test
Personal Protection
 HEPA Filter Leak Test
Personal, Product and Environmental Protection
 Airflow Smoke Pattern Test
 Site Installation Assessment Test

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When and Why BSC recertification and
fumigation Needed ?

• Certification is need:
 During maintenance

When it is filter is loaded

 When research changed

 During changing places

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What To Expect From The Certifier
 Test Report
 Instruments / Calibration Date
 Methods used
 Date certified
 Certification due date
 Certifiers name, address and phone number
 Repairs made
 Signature of certifier
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 Common user mistakes
.

Blocking of airflow perforations with objects

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Cont.

Filter damage due to Bunsen

burner usage within work zone

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Cont.…

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Cont.…

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Cont.…

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To achieve the best and safe results in a BSC, the
following points are to be put in consideration and
observed:

 Locate the BSC away from the doors, air supply vents and
heavy traffic areas
 Keep the doors and windows closed when working on BSC
to prevent drafts
 Clean the surface area with disinfectant

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Cont.…
 Allow cabinet to run for 10min before use
 Place the equipment's to be used in a BSC and don’t
overcrowd them
 Monitor the magneheric gauge
 Keep the back and front grills clear

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cont.…
 Segregate dirty and clean items to avoid cross
contamination within the BSC.
 Avoid constant in & out motion at the face of cabinet
as this will draw air out of cabinet
 Don’t use a bunsen burner or open flames as this is a
fire hazard and can damage the HEPA Filter. Micro-
incinerators are preferred

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 Cont.…

 Practice good technique to ensure safe use

 Take care of spills immediately
 Ensure your BSC’s parameters are checked and calibrated
as required

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Summary

 The biological safety cabinet is used for to protect the

worker from risks associated with the potentially infectious
agents, protect the sample contamination and to protect the
environment work related to pathogens.
 Biological safety cabinet can be basically classified as:
Class I, Class II and Class III.
 Basic components of BSC can be listed as HEPA filter,
motor, cabinet pressure plenums, UV light Fluorescent
lamp, and etc.
 When operating BSC, we have to make sure that we
followed all the safety procedures.
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 y ou
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