Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC)
MSC regularly receive requests from customers, particularly in the clinical field, who have old class I cabinets that need to be replaced. The most common model that we replace is the Microflow Class I Cabinet. We thought it would be useful to provide some guidance on what options are available and what factors should be considered when replacing these cabinets?
Do I need a ducted cabinet?
The first thing to determine is whether you need to replace your existing ducted class I cabinet with another ducted cabinet or would a recirculating cabinet be suitable for your requirements? You might need a ducted cabinet:
- If your organisational policy dictates that a ducted cabinet is required.
- If there is a minor chemical hazard as well as the biological hazard.
- If you are potentially encountering particularly dangerous human pathogens where a higher degree of protection is required.
You may also like to read our blog posts on:
- Choosing the correct enclosure for your laboratory; Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC), Laminar Flow (LAF) or Fume Hood?
- Tips on specifying a new Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC)
What are the drawbacks to a ducted cabinet?
The main issues associated with ducting biosafety cabinets are cost and complexity:
- Site survey cost
- Cost of replacing or repairing existing ducting
- Cost of replacing or repairing existing external fan
- Cost of air-conditioned room air that needs to be replaced
- A typical 4ft Class I cabinet removes ~600 m3 air each hour
- A typical 4ft Class II B2 cabinet removes ~1,400 m3 air each hour
- In the winter you are ducting warm air out of the room
- In the summer you are ducting cooled air out of the room
- Cost of maintaining ducting and external fan
- How will the ducting be routed through my building? With a recirculating cabinet the only service required is a normal electrical outlet.
- How is the external fan accessed? Is it on the roof – can service engineers access the roof? Is it on the side of my building? If so, is a height-for-hire required to access?
Did you know that a typical 4ft/1,200mm Class II B2 cabinet exhausts ~1,400 m3 air per hour from your room.
Can I re-use my existing ducting?
For ducted cabinets MSC/Isolation Technology engineers always start with a site survey. From our experience many of the older class I cabinets have sub-standard ducting and external fans, and thus it cannot be re-used for the new cabinet. This may be because the ducting does not have enough capacity (diameter of ducting is too small), does not have recommended anti-blowback valves or dampers, or may need to be replaced due to age. Similarly, the existing remote fan may need to be replaced or because it does not offer variable control.
If I need a ducted cabinet what are my options?
If you need to replace your Class I cabinet with a new ducted cabinet, then you can choose from the following options:
1. Class I. Faster SafeFAST Elite Class I – a like-for-like replacement. You will get the same protection provided by your existing class I cabinet in a new modern unit with constant airflow monitoring and alarms for unsafe conditions. Your new cabinet will have guaranteed availability of spare parts for the 7 years minimum, meaning you can stop worrying about downtime.
2. Class II A2. Faster SafeFAST Classic or Classic D or Premium. Class II A2 cabinets can be hard-ducted or thimble-exhaust ducted. The advantage of a Class II cabinet over Class I is that as well as operator protection you also get product and environmental protection. The internal downflow of HEPA-filtered laminar air over your products will reduce the chances of cross-contamination from other samples, the environment or the operator. Although an A2 cabinet normally recirculates HEPA-filtered air to the room, when ducted there is no recirculation to the room.
3. Class II B2. Faster SafeFAST Elite Class II B2. A Class II B2 or Total Exhaust cabinet offers 100% exhaust with no recirculating air back to the room. It provides operator, product and environmental protection similar to the Class II A2 option. The SafeFAST Elite Class II B2 features a HEPA filter bank under the work-surface allowing service engineers to replace these filters while the cabinet is still running, thus avoiding any escape of contaminants from inside the cabinet during filter replacement.
I don’t need a ducted cabinet, what are my options?
MSC offer a wide range of Faster srl recirculating Biosafety Cabinets. Our most popular options are:
- SafeFAST Classic – single fan; our most economical option, quick delivery on 4ft/1,200mm size.
- SafeFAST Classic D – double fan; Recommended. Dual fans allow much greater control when balancing the airflow meaning this cabinet can handle less than ideal locations while still offering 100% protection. Quick delivery on 4ft/1,200mm size.
- SafeFAST Premium – double fan; Recommended. The most energy efficient and lowest noise Class II A2 Biosafety Cabinet on the market.
If you need any more help please do not hesitate to contact your MSC sales representative or MSC/Isolation Technology engineer for further advice.
Isolation Technology are Clean Air and Containment Service specialists for Hospitals, Laboratories and industrial applications in the Medical and Bio Pharma sector. Certified to BS EN ISO9001:2008, holding quality certificates from NSAI (National Standards Authority of Ireland) and IQNet (International Certification Network). Isolation Technology are dedicated to providing products and a level of service which exceeds customer’s expectations, offering a full after sales service and validation throughout the product lifecycle.
See CDC for more on Biological Safety Cabinets here
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