Class II and Class III protect the product or specimen, the user, and the environment from contamination.Class I Biological safety cabinets are designed solely for operator protection.There are several options of class and varying levels of protection available in BSC’s. When to choose a biological safety cabinet:īiological safety cabinets must be used when protection of the user and the environment is required. The air from a vertical flow hood goes back into the environment untreated so it only non-hazardous materials should be handled in the work zone.
When is a vertical laminar flow cabinet the best choice?Ĭhoose a vertical laminar flow cabinet when using larger equipment as the work space is taller and deeper. The airflow proceeds in a downward motion which, when coupled with the benefit of gravity, can assist in pushing particles down and away from the work surface and operators. Vertical laminar flow hoods are often favored for many applications due to their resemblance of cleanroom setups.
Vertical laminar flow hoods are best for applications that require the use of large equipment on the work surface as the workspace is taller and larger with less turbulence caused by the vertical airflow. Applications that require the utmost in contamination control should use horizontal flow because hands and gloves are positioned downstream of the sample during normal operation. 
Horizontal laminar flow hoods are best for applications that require minimal turbulence on the work surface, making them ideal for use with primarily small utensils and equipment that will not cause airflow disturbance. Each configuration is best suited to specific applications and provides a host of benefits. Laminar flow enclosures can be configured to provide vertical or horizontal airflow, depending on application needs. Biosafety cabinets must be inspected by trained personnel on a regular basis and be “certified” as safe for work involving infectious agents or toxins.Laminar flow cabinets are used in a wide array of applications in the pharmaceutical, medical, manufacturing, and scientific research fields. Chemical fume hoods are used to protect personnel from chemical exposure and are not appropriate for work involving infectious agents or toxins. Likewise, chemical fume hoods cannot be used in place of biosafety cabinets. In work with infectious agents, toxins, or cultures, use of laminar flow hoods may expose the worker to the biological material. Laminar flow hoods provide a clean or sterile area to protect the work product, but discharge air towards the worker. Laminar flow hoods (e.g., “clean benches”) are not biosafety cabinets. Other naming conventions have been used in the past or in other countries. The naming system given here is the one used in the United States and in CDC/NIH guidance Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories Appendix A. Class II biosafety cabinets are widely used in biological research laboratories and are differentiated into types such as A1, A2, B1, or B2.The classification for the majority of biosafety cabinets used in the United States is Class II Type A2. Class II and Class III cabinets provide personnel, environmental, and product protection. 
Class I biosafety cabinets are infrequently used and provide personnel and environmental protection but no product protection. There are three classes of biosafety cabinets designated in the United States: Class I, Class II, and Class III. There are several designs of biosafety cabinets which provide different levels of protection to the worker and to the research material. Most BSCs (e.g., Class II and Class III) use high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters in both the exhaust and supply system to prevent exposure to biohazards. Biosafety cabinets (BSCs) are one type of biocontainment equipment used in biological laboratories to provide personnel, environmental, and product protection.
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