Biological safety cabinets, also known as biosafety cabinets or microbiological safety cabinets, are enclosed ventilated workstations that protect the user, the product, and environment from aerosols arising from the handling of potentially hazardous micro-organisms. These cabinets are designed for laboratory operators to safely work with contaminated or biohazard materials. Biological safety cabinets provide different levels of protection to obtain optimum control over product quality by reducing potential risk of exposure to biohazards materials. With increase in number of research organizations due to increase in research and development activities, the demand for biological safety cabinets is also increasing.
Biological safety cabinets are airtight, enclosed laboratory workspaces intended to safely work with potentially hazardous substances containing a defined set of pathogen risks. It is designed to protect scientists and employees working with these substances from the risk of exposure to potentially harmful microorganisms. In the past, such cabinets were solid oak structures with multiple security measures to isolate the room from the outside. Currently however, there are a variety of options available to protect scientists and employees working on the front lines of research and development. Some cabinets are fully enclosed, providing full protection from the outside environment. Others are partially enclosed to provide protection from the inside.
The primary goal of biological safety cabinets is to ensure the protection of life and laboratory experiments from the potential harmful effects of pathogenic bacteria and other organisms. This is done through isolating the potentially contaminated work space from the air. The primary source of contamination in a lab is air, and all biological and chemical compounds, including biological and drug waste, can be potentially harmful when introduced into the environment. A safety cabinet that is adequately vented and has air filtering or purification capabilities will ensure that the air in the lab is free of contaminants.
Biological safety cabinets are of three types, such as Class I, Class II, and Class III, and they differ regarding their applications and the type of biosafety that they are capable of providing. The four biosafety levels are BSL-1, BSL-2, BSL-3, and BSL-4, with BSL-4 being the highest (maximum) level of containment. The continuous airflow is discharged to the atmosphere via mechanical air filter called a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate absorbing) filter. The HEPA filter helps remove aerosols (particulates) such as micro-organisms, from the air. The HEPA filter does not remove vapors or gases.
The term biosafety is an occupational term that describes the importance of implementing a set of recommended safety guidelines for work in the presence of potentially lethal pathogens. These guidelines are based on the assumption that the work environment is free of these pathogens and the biological safety cabinets in which they are kept are consistently maintained in good condition. It is the prevention of large-scale loss of biological integrity, focusing both on ecology and human health. These prevention mechanisms include conduction of regular reviews of the biosafety in laboratory settings, as well as strict guidelines to follow.
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