Biological Safety Cabinet Levels

You will learn about each level on the following screens.

Biological safety cabinet levels.

A biosafety cabinet bsc also called a biological safety cabinet or microbiological safety cabinet is an enclosed ventilated laboratory workspace for safely working with materials contaminated with or potentially contaminated with pathogens requiring a defined biosafety level several different types of bsc exist differentiated by the degree of biocontainment required. Biosafety level 4 bsl 4 is the highest level of biosafety precautions and is appropriate for work with agents that could easily be aerosol transmitted within the laboratory and cause severe to fatal disease in humans for which there are no available vaccines or treatments. The purifier axiom class ii type c1 is the first biological safety cabinet that can be used in a recirculating type a mode for standard microbiological work or can be connected to an exhaust system to function in type b mode for handling hazardous chemical vapors or radionuclides. The axiom is an r d 100 awards for innovation finalist.

The bsl 4 laboratory should contain a class iii biological safety cabinet but may use a class i or ii bsc in combination with a positive pressure air supplied full body suit. Biological safety levels bsl are a series of protections relegated to autoclave related activities that take place in particular biological labs they are individual safeguards designed to protect laboratory personnel as well as the surrounding environment and. It is commonly found in clinical and research laboratories working with infectious agents in risk groups 2 3 and 4 if positive pressure suits are used or with tissue culture. Class ii a class ii cabinet is defined as a ventilated cabinet for personnel product and environmental protection for microbiological work or sterile pharmacy compounding.

Usually bsl 4 laboratories are in separate buildings or a totally isolated zone with dedicated supply and exhaust ventilation. All class i biological safety cabinets are suitable for work with microbiological agents assigned to biosafety levels 1 2 and 3. Procedures with a high likelihood of generating aerosols or droplets should be done using either a certified class ii biological safety cabinet bsc or additional precautions to provide a barrier between the specimen and personnel. Information about the biosafety level requirements for handling sar cov 2 covid 19 coronavirus can be found here.

Biological safety cabinets enclosures. Every microbiology laboratory regardless of biosafety level follows standard microbiological practices. The biosafety levels range from bsl 1 to bsl 4. A class ii biological safety cabinet bsc is a ventilated cabinet which provides personnel product and environmental protection.

Each biosafety level builds on the controls of the level before it. Class ii biological safety cabinets like class i safety cabinets class ii cabinets have a stream of inward air moving into the cabinet.