page_title: Biosafety cabinet
section_title: Class III
hierarchical_section_title: Biosafety cabinet / Classes / Class III
caption_attribution_description: English: This 1978 photograph depicted Dr. Russell Regnery as he was seated in a CDC Maximum Containment “Cabinet Lab”. His hands are shown inserted into the cabinet, though protected inside its portals by airtight gloves. Scientists working within biosafety laboratories, known as BSL, must wear protective garments, some of which are air-tight, thereby, protecting the technician from exposure to highly infectious pathogenic organisms. In this case, the pathogens were sequestered inside an air-tight observation cabinet, therefore, the need to clad the scientist in an air-tight suit was not required.
context_page_description: A biosafety cabinet —also called a biological safety cabinet or microbiological safety cabinet—is an enclosed, ventilated laboratory workspace for safely working with materials contaminated with pathogens requiring a defined biosafety level. Several different types of BSC exist, differentiated by the degree of biocontainment required. BSCs first became commercially available in 1950.
context_section_description: The Class III cabinet, generally only installed in maximum containment laboratories, is specifically designed for work with BSL-4 pathogenic agents, providing maximum protection. The enclosure is gas-tight, and all materials enter and leave through a dunk tank or double-door autoclave. Gloves attached to the front prevent direct contact with hazardous materials (Class III cabinets are sometimes called glove boxes). These custom-built cabinets often attach into a line, and the lab equipment installed inside is usually custom-built as well.
caption: A researcher observing a specimen through the built-in microscope in a Class III biosafety cabinet
exif: {}