Many laboratories use Class II biological safety cabinets (BSCs) to conduct this kind of research, reports Dr David Philips, Senior Global Product Technology Specialist, BSCs and Clean Air, at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
BSCs are enclosed, ventilated, negative-pressure laboratory workspaces that allow for the safe handling of infectious or harmful samples.
These cabinets rely on specific airflow velocities to protect the lab technician from exposure to potentially contaminated air from the BSC and to protect the sample from any unfiltered air within the lab.
Compromised airflow can harm both the technician and sample. It is important that work with biohazardous materials is conducted in a BSC to mitigate some of the risks of harmful effects on researchers.
Still, because this research must be done inside the BSC, lab technicians can end up sitting at the cabinet for extended periods of time, potentially subjecting them to physical injury as well.
There are several challenges that come with working in a BSC … but there are specific steps you can take to help you and your fellow researchers stay safe.
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