Biological Safety Cabinets & Laminar Flow Cabinets
Biological Safety Cabinets (BSC) provide an effective means of physical containment for biological agents, especially when aerosols are generated. Their main role is to protect personnel and the environment; and in most cases the product.
Laminar Flow Cabinets (LFC) have a much different role, as they only protect the product. These cabinets are sometimes referred to as "clean benches".
Both types of cabinets are designed to produce a laminar flow (stream line air movement) and use HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filtration. HEPA filters are designed to remove particles with a minimum size of 0.3 microns with an efficiency of 99.97%.
The effectiveness of a BSC / LFC is dependent upon:
- the integrity of the cabinet (certified to national/international standards after installation, any move, annually)
- use practices within the cabinet (do not result in turbulence, dead air, or breaches in the air curtain), and
- placement of the cabinet in a room (to avoid the air curtain being jeopardized by traffic flow or air currents due to room ventilation).