Hosokawa containment has developed a bespoke contained waste handling system in collaboration with a multinational biotech firm.
The unit requires minimum operator intervention and maintains low personnel exposure levels to airborne contamination, Hosokawa says.
Liquid waste is pumped to a double outlet inside a laminar air flow booth, and these outlets are connected through a series of safety interlocks to an empty intermediate bulk container (IBC), which is manually placed on a weigh scale and connected by an airtight seal.
A preset volume of waste is pumped into the IBC with the weigh scales as a back up, to prevent overfill, and safety sensors prevent the flow of waste without the presence and connection of an unfilled IBC. Air displaced from the IBC is drawn off by an extraction system and passed through a HEPA filter to prevent airborne contamination.
Then spray balls wash chute and outlet valve with water and a sealing cap is fitted to the IBC by the operator - at this point a localised extraction system removes the air from the operation area.