Do you know the Most Certified Biosafety Cabinet in the World?

Photo credits from:
www.escoglobal.com

It was emphasized from the previous blog that certification from international standards is very important for biosafety cabinets. The certification is a proof of the cabinet's quality, safety and effectiveness. 

And guess what! A particular company has the most certified biosafety cabinet in the world. Do you know what company is it? It is Esco Micro Pte Ltd., a Singaporean company that provides a wide array of equipment from life sciences to medical and in vitro fertilization to pharmaceutical laboratories. 

As I browse their website, I've come across a particular biosafety cabinet, deemed as the most certified biosafety cabinet in the world. It is their very own Labculture® Class II Type A2 biosafety cabinet. It is certified to not one but four major international standards, i.e. NSF/ANSI 49, EN 12469, JIS K 3800 and SFDA YY 0569. Usually, a biosafety cabinet is just certified to one of the major international standards, most common of which are certified to either NSF or EN.

Because of this feature, I decided to share it here. 

Labculture® , indeed, deserves to be in the spotlight. Take a look on its exciting features.

The 5 Stars of Labculture® Class II Type A2 Biological Safety Cabinet:

1. Energy-efficient. Labculture® is powered by the latest generation DC ECM motor that is more efficient than ECM and VFD motors. Aside from it renders up to 70% energy savings, it provides stable airflow, despite building voltage fluctuations and filter loading.
2. Ergonomic. Labculture® is designed to provide you maximum comfort when working in your laboratory. With its centered and angled down microprocessor controller, you can easily reach and view all of the cabinet’s safety information in one screen. Cleaning will never be difficult anymore because of its easy-to-clean drain pan, walls and work tray. With its ergonomic arm rest and chair, you will definitely achieve comfortable working posture.
3. Safe.  Equipped with efficient ULPA filter and dynamic chamber, you are assured that you and your environment is safe from biohazards. Isocide™ powder coat inhibits microbial growth in its exterior surface for improved safety. Other safety features of Labculture® include zero volt relay contact and airflow sensor.
4. Quiet. You can work at ease with its less than 67dBA (NSF/ANSI 49) or 65dBA (EN 12469) sound emission. Truly, you can achieve a peaceful working environment.
5. Most certified. Labculture® Class II Type A2 biological safety cabinet is definitely superior among biological safety cabinets. It is currently certified to NSF/ANSI 49, EN 12469, JIS K 3800 and SFDA YY 0569. 

 I also came across a video of Labculture®. (Video credits from Esco Global, YouTube)

Unbelievable, right?

Why you should not buy a Non-Certified Biological Safety Cabinet?

The terms biological safety cabinet, biosafety cabinet and microbiological safety cabinet should only be applied to those devices that meet the requirements of Classes of BSCs, based on their construction, airflow velocities and patterns, and their exhaust systems.

The role of BSCs is to provide protection when handling infectious agents.

BSCs are no ordinary cabinets. 

These devices should meet international standards, i.e. NSF/ANSI 49, EN 12469 (see blog All about biosafety cabinet standards). These standards provide a series of specifications that a biological safety cabinet must meet.

Photo credits from:
www.nsf.org

To acquire an international certification, a BSC must meet the expected performance required by the standard for tests for air velocity measurements, operator and product protection, cross contamination, air visualization, filter integrity, maintenance of temperature, acceptable noise and light levels during operation of the cabinet and acceptable design of filter mountings  and plenum, and other tests as required.

Raw materials used in biological safety cabinets should be of quality. Moreover, the production stage follows a standard process, with subsequent quality control checks. The performance of the BSC during production is tested and certified.  Down flow and inflow velocity profile, airflow smoke patterns, HEPA filter leak checks, potential electrical shock hazard, operator fatigue, and the overall safety, quality and efficiency of the cabinet are checked. Moreover, BSC operation needs to be verified at the time of installation.

It is crucial for an institution to use only certified BSCs.

The purpose of testing and certification is to ensure the balance of inflow and exhaust air, the distribution of air into the work surface, and the integrity of the cabinet. A BSC must also be routinely inspected and tested by a qualified personnel to verify that it is working properly. The safety of the personnel and the environment is not guaranteed when BSCs are not certified. People and environment may be at risk of exposure when using non-certified BSCs.

The use of non-certified BSCs, technically, beats the purpose of using one.

So if you decide to buy a biological safety cabinet, look for the certificate. This proves the BSC’s quality, safety and efficiency.

Source:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Appendix A – Primary Containment for Biohazards: Selection, Installation and Use of Biological Safety Cabinets. USA. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/biosafety/publications/bmbl5/BMBL5_appendixA.pdf [Accessed August 13, 2015].

All about biosafety cabinet standards

Biological safety cabinets, also known as microbiological safety cabinets, have been widely recognized as primary containment devices in dealing with biohazards. 

Example of a Biosafety Cabinet
Photo credits from: www.escoglobal.com

These biosafety cabinets are used to provide personnel, environment and product protection. The terms should only be applied to those devices that meet the requirements based on their construction, airflow velocities and patterns, and their exhaust systems.

The evolution of these containment devices prompted the need for consistency in its construction and performance. Moreover, the cabinet industry continues to grow so it is imperative to develop uniformity of these products throughout the world. As a result, various not-for-profit organizations created standards for biological safety cabinets.

The standards for biological safety cabinets are used to set the minimum requirements for manufacturers to comply with in terms of the products’ construction and performance criteria. 

In general, the major international standards in use today put emphasis on the biosafety cabinet’s performance in terms of providing protection to the worker and environment, and product if applicable.

International Standards for Biological Safety Cabinets

The following are the major international standards for Biological Safety Cabinets:

1. NSF/ ANSI 49.

   

   Photo credits from:
   www.nsf.org

    The NSF International Biological Safety Cabinetry Program was initiated during the 1970s. This standard gained official recognition from American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in 2002. It specifies the requirements for both the biosafety cabinet construction and performance criteria. In addition, reliable operation, durability, cleanability, noise level, and illumination control, vibration control, and electrical safety of the cabinet are checked as well.
2. EN 12469.  It is the harmonized European standard for microbiological safety cabinets, replacing the former German DIN 12950, British BS5726 and French NF X44-291:1984 standards in 2000. Similar to the NSF/ANSI 49, it specifies the requirements for both the cabinet’s construction and performance criteria. Though EN 12369 standard is based from NSF/ANSI 49, there are several differences between the two.                  
3. Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL). UL is an independent, not-for-profit product safety testing and certification organization and is one of the most recognized conformity assessment providers in the world. In order for a biosafety cabinet to be certified by NSF, it should conform to UL Standard 61010A-1 which covers electrical equipment for laboratory use. 
   
   
4. JIS K 3800. This standard is also known as the Japan Industrial Standard. The certification is performed by Japan Air Cleaning Association (JACA). This standard specifies performance, structure, and material and test method of Class II biological safety cabinets. The Class II biological safety cabinets specified in this standard are Type A, Type B1, Type B2 and Type B3. The cabinets should satisfy the requirements established by Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare based on the Ministerial Ordinance No. 99 of the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 1998.
5. AS 2252. This standard is also known as the Australian standard, was prepared by the Australian members of the Joint Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand Committee ME-060. It supersedes AS/NZS 2647:2000. This standard specifies requirements for biological safety cabinets including installation and use. For Class I biological safety cabinet, emphasis is given to personnel and environment protection. For Class II biological safety cabinet, its design should provide personnel, environment and product protection.

   

   Photo credits from:
   www.standards.org.au

6. SFDA YY 0569. The State Food and Drug Administration YY 0569 is the Chinese Standard for biological safety cabinets. It is modeled on both the EN 12469:2000 and NSF49:2002. This standard adopted the KI-Discus test from the European standard. Even though YY 0569 is based from the two major international standards, there are some notable improvements, i.e. instant display for air exchange rate and air intake, audio and visual warning system, to alert workers to performance malfunctions of biological safety cabinets. It is similar to NSF in such it recognizes four types of Class II BSCs. In summary, there are aspects unique to NSF and EN standards that are used as basis for YY 0569. 

Any of these standards can be used since they validate the biosafety cabinet's performance (mainly to provide protection to worker, environment and product). However, it is important to note that most biosafety cabinets in use today are certified based on  the standard  each country uses. For example, Europeans use EN certified cabinets while Americans use NSF certified cabinets. No matter what standard to follow, the effectiveness of the biosafety cabinet to provide protection greatly depends on how the user operates the equipment.

Sources:

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Appendix A – Primary Containment for Biohazards: Selection, Installation and Use of Biological Safety Cabinets. USA. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/biosafety/publications/bmbl5/BMBL5_appendixA.pdf [Accessed September 2, 2015].
2. Esco. 2013. Myths and Facts about Biosafety Cabinets. Singapore. Esco Micro Pte. Ltd. [Accessed September 3, 2015].
3. Esco. 2015. Learn about International Standards. Singapore. Esco Micro Pte. Ltd. Available from http://www.escoglobal.com/resources/learn-about-international-standards/16/ [Accessed September 2, 2015].
4. Hu Longfei, et. al. Chinese Biosafety Laws and Regulations, Including Matters of Biosecurity and Oversight of Genetic Engineering Activities. China. Available from http://cns.miis.edu/stories/pdf_support/070917_hu.pdf [Accessed September 4, 2015].
5. IHS Engineering 360. 2015. Standard: JSA – JIS K 3800, Class II Biological Safety Cabinets. New York, USA. IHS Engineering 360. Available from http://standards.globalspec.com/std/1296600/jsa-jis-k-3800 [Accessed September 4, 2015].
6. Lin Xiang Qian. 2012. Comparison between EN 12469:2000 and ANSI/ NSF 49:2002 Standards. Singapore. Esco Micro Pte. Ltd. [Accessed September 3, 2015].
7. NSF International. 2015. NSF/ANSI 49: Biosafety Cabinetry Certification. USA. NSF. Available from http://www.nsf.org/services/by-industry/pharma-biotech/biosafety-cabinetry/nsf-ansi-49-biosafety-cabinetry-certification/ [Accessed September 2, 2015].
8. Standards Australia. 2009. Controlled environments Part 2: Biological safety cabinets Class II – Design. Australia. Standards Australia. Available from https://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCkQFjACahUKEwintru95dnHAhUEGY4KHUKbDEQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Finfostore.saiglobal.com%2Fstore%2FPreviewDoc.aspx%3FsaleItemID%3D1662060&usg=AFQjCNF7bvC332iEUNcYYH8M2XeB5FeQjA&sig2=Cx-KGW55obp0vNmmiH76Sg&bvm=bv.101800829,d.c2E [Accessed September 3, 2015].

The biosafety cabinets are on Viber! Part 6

It's Class III's time to share what he knows.

Source:
Esco. A Guide to Biosafety and Biological Safety Cabinets. Singapore. Esco Micro Pte. Ltd. Available from http://www.escoglobal.com/products/download/1334055444.pdf

The biosafety cabinets are on Viber! Part 5

The Class II Type B cabinets shared something.

Source:
Esco. A Guide to Biosafety and Biological Safety Cabinets. Singapore. Esco Micro Pte. Ltd. Available from http://www.escoglobal.com/products/download/1334055444.pdf

The biosafety cabinets are on Viber! Part 4

Class II Type A and B compared...at last!

Source:
Esco. A Guide to Biosafety and Biological Safety Cabinets. Singapore. Esco Micro Pte. Ltd. Available from http://www.escoglobal.com/products/download/1334055444.pdf

The biosafety cabinets are on Viber! Part 3

Class II biosafety cabinets are interviewed...

Let's follow the advice of Class II Type A1. 

Visit this link: http://www.escoglobal.com/resources/comparison-of-lab-ventilated-enclosures/153/

Source:
Esco. A Guide to Biosafety and Biological Safety Cabinets. Singapore. Esco Micro Pte. Ltd. Available from http://www.escoglobal.com/products/download/1334055444.pdf