Primary Containment

Biological Safety Cabinets

Biological Safety Cabinets (BSC’s) provide product, personnel, and environmental protection when working with biohazardous materials. Appendix A of the BMBL 5(PDF) describes the selection, use, and installation of cabinets in detail.

Horizontal Laminar Flow “Clean Benches”

Horizontal Laminar Flow “Clean Benches” are not BSCs. Their purpose is to provide product protection only by discharging HEPA-filtered air across the work surface toward the user. As stated in the BMBL 5th edition; “Clean benches should never be used when handling cell culture materials or drug formulations, or when manipulating potentially infectious materials. The worker will be exposed to the materials being
manipulated on the clean bench potentially resulting in hypersensitivity, toxicity or infection depending on the materials being handled.”