This is a ventilated cabinet for personnel protection with an unrecirculated inward airflow away from the operator. This unit must be fitted with an exhaust HEPA filter when air from this cabinet is discharged back into the room to protect the work environment from discharged agents. This is a ventilated cabinet for personnel, product and environmental protection which provides inward airflow and HEPA filtered supply and exhaust air. However, care must be exercised in selecting the correct Class II cabinet design for these purposes. The supply air is HEPA filtered and the exhaust air passes through two HEPA filters in series.
Work is performed inside the cabinet through the attached arm-length rubber gloves.
Biological safety cabinets are primary containment devices and must not be confused with other laminar flow devices or 'clean benches'. Horizontal and vertical laminar flow cabinets which direct air towards the operator must not be used for handling infectious, toxic or sensitizing materials. Biological safety cabinets must be inspected and tested when newly installed or moved, and annually thereafter by trained service personnel to CSA Standard Z316.3-95 or NSF Standard 49, or subsequent revisions. Cabinets must be decontaminated before they are removed for disposal.