The post from January 10^th on Mobile and Modular Laboratory Platforms generated an interesting question.  The question was, ‘If we can build the BSL-3 lab with local tradecrafts, but do not think there is local experience in HVAC construction and controls, is it possible to purchase the HVAC system in a prefabricated package for delivery and installation’?        

            Yes, it is possible to purchase a prefabricated HVAC system with controls to support a BSL-3 lab.  It will require coordination between the team working on the lab, to include the architect, engineer, and project manager with the supplier of the HVAC system.  The supplier in essence is acting as the mechanical engineer and will need access to drawings and specifications to:

• identify penetrations, connections and site survey details,
• size the system to accommodate heating and cooling load data,
• plan for cascading airflow, sensor and damper placement,
• engineer a system that does not conflict with those services in adjacent spaces in the existing building (i.e. building automated system),
• harmonize systems when needed (i.e. security control systems, BAS),
• coordinate electrical and plumbing connections and specifications, and
• coordinate other aspects related to the HVAC and associated systems during facility design to ensure smooth construction, commissioning and acceptance phases.

            The HVAC system and its control system (BAS) are the most often cited Achilles heel of containment laboratories.  Purchasing a prefabricated HVAC system that meets WHO, CDC or other recognized design recommendations is a very suitable strategy when there is a lack of tradecraft with experience in BSL-3 construction, and in cases where the laboratory is in a retrofit space that can not be accommodated/reliably accommodated by the existing building system.  It can be significantly less expensive than trying to retrofit an existing building HVAC system and has the added benefit of allowing operations to continue in the existing building during construction of the addition or renovation of the space. 

            If an organization does chose to purchase a prefabricated HVAC, it should be one designed and built by companies that can provide proof of construction of several functional BSL-3 containment laboratories .  Companies that specialize in clean rooms and have no true expertise in biocontainment typically and catastrophically misapply HVAC and BAS clean room concepts to containment labs, it is important to ensure companies have biocontainment experience similar to your project.  Components of HVAC for BSL-3 containment include but are not limited to welded leak tested stainless steel exhaust duct and HEPA housings, HEPA housings with scan test and decontamination ports, airtight dampers for room decontamination, and rapidly responsive air volume control valves and a BAS to prevent sustained pressurization of the lab during HVAC failure.

            The goal is to have a working building that provides a safe work environment to staff and the community and can be maintained by personnel on-site.  To that end, the company should act as the single source that has responsibility for the systems and subsystems and ensuring once connected to the lab, the system performs per design intent.  To every extent within reason the system should be sustainable and serviceable within the region.  While specialists may be required to decontaminate and replace HEPA filters within the housings, the system should be designed and constructed such that for example, standard air-conditioning and heating components can be worked on locally.  The planning done on the front end of the project, and selecting an experienced containment company will provide huge dividends throughout the construction process and life of the building.

         Three events have come together in the past few years that codified a need for rapidly deployable, mobile and cost effective containment equipment.  First, there was recognition that many regions and countries in the world did not have adequate infrastructure, reliable power, or primary containment to provide a safe environment when working with emerging, re-emerging and dangerous infectious agents. In the US and elsewhere following the 2001 anthrax letters Public Health Labs and First Responders began experiencing an increase in their mission scope to collect, transport and perform analysis on unknown samples that may contain biological or chemical hazards. That mission had increased significantly due to copycat, hoax and criminal activity.  In the same timeframe, advances in biomedical research created a need to move samples, animals and materials from room to room, or into and out of imaging suites and equipment while maintaining containment.  In response to these needs mobile Class III BSC, flexible film isolators and compact, easily deployable hybrids were developed and refined.

Class III BSC

         Small, bench top units were developed that provide safe, effective and affordable primary containment (i.e. SEA) enabling flexibility for laboratory use or field deployment. It was originally developed for diagnostic screening of unknown and highly pathogenic samples in facilities, laboratories or field settings that lack reliable secondary containment controls.  The closed system decreases the chance of aerosol escape, resultant accidental exposure and potential laboratory acquired illnesses.

SEA benchtop

SEA with passthrough and legs built in

       

        In animal research, mobile battery powered Class III BSC are increasingly being used to move animals from holding rooms to procedure rooms.  The supply is single HEPA filtered, the exhaust is double HEPA filtered as required by the CDC.  By use of large RTPs integrated into transporter carts of Class III design, the walls of animal holding rooms, and stationary Class III systems, scientists can safely transport exposed animals from holding rooms to procedure areas equipped with devices such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and other non-invasive scanning devices. The systems reduce personnel and environmental exposure and reduce the time the animal must be handled and anesthetized. 

Class III animal transfer with RTP dock

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                Transport Class III BSCs are used in Public Health Laboratories for the receipt of unknown hazardous samples associated with chemical or biological terrorism or criminal activities.  Workers use the transport BSCs to move the unknown hazardous sample from the loading dock area or other delivery site used by the First Responder, to the containment lab without risking contamination of non-contained and public areas, as well as the containment lab itself.

All hazard reciept mobile Class III BSC

         Taken together, the advent of the use of transport and mobile Class III BSCs provides a significantly safer way of moving and handling infected animals or unknown samples than any past capability.

 

 

 

 

 

Flexible Film Isolator

             The negative-pressure flexible-film isolator is a self-contained primary containment device that provides maximum protection against hazardous biological materials. Isolators can be placed on a counter top or on a mobile cart. The workspace is enclosed in a transparent polyvinylchloride (PVC) film that suspended from a plastic or steel framework. Like Class III BSC, the supply air passes through one HEPA filter and exhaust air passes through two HEPA filters. WHO recognizes the double HEPA exhaust obviates the need to duct exhaust air outside the building.  Flexible-film isolators are used frequently and very successfully in animal containment, field work and other instances where it is not feasible to install or maintain conventional BSC.  Hybrids (semi-flexible film isolators) exist where some of the panels are made of a rigid material such as polycarbonate, and typically the front panel is soft PVC.

Mobile flexible film isolator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deployable Isolators 

             The deployable isolator unit is a self-contained negative pressure filtration system that operates on two standard D cell batteries.  Supply air is HEPA filtered. Exhaust air is double HEPA or double HEPA and carbon filtered. All filters are readily available and easily replaceable by First Responders and those involved in field collection and preliminary screening and triage. It is a rapidly deployable, light-weight, disposable system that comes in a compact transport case and sets up much like a dome tent. The isolator is made of durable 15mil polyurethane to withstand field use, repeated assembly/disassembly, and can be assembled and operational within minutes for on-demand use requirements.  Large samples and equipment are introduced through a zipper system similar to those on a BSL-4 suit.  Sampling ports are provided for use with external detectors and analytical equipment.  

Field deployable flexible isolator

          

The diversity in containment equipment is almost limitless and depends on user requirements and design team innovation and advances in materials. 

I was at a meeting recently when someone asked, ‘What are mobile and modular BSL-3 labs and when should they be used?”  It is a good question that comes up often.   Deciding  which platform is the best choice depends on the institute mission, size requirements and in the case of mobile labs, the local road conditions.   For example, if the roads are narrow and turns are very tight, a 12.5 meter long truck lab may not be able to navigate the roads, while a Sprinter van would have no problem.

Mobile labs are those labs which can be moved from place to place easily and often by their own power.  They include platforms built into 12 meter long trucks, 4 meter Sprinter vans, and trailers of various sizes (i.e. 6, 7,12 meters).  They are rapidly deployable and often used in incident investigation (i.e. suspicious materials), military and civil preparedness applications (NBC sampling and analysis at high level events), surge capacity at different locations, and in support of testing during natural disease outbreaks.  They are designed to provide on-the-spot rapid sample triage and screening, and presumptive diagnostic capability to assist in prioritizing samples being sent to national reference labs.

 Mobile labs were initially developed in 1986. It wasn’t until the late 1990’s with the advent of decreased size and ease of portability of analytical equipment and prepackaged reagents, and the availability of high speed communications technology that these labs became increasingly popular.  They are rapidly available from time of order to time of delivery, and can be cost effective.  Mobile labs are not however meant to be a substitute for fixed labs, rather they augment the mission and provide a capability not possible with a fixed asset.  The advantages and disadvantages various platforms such as trucks, vans, trailers and containers on flatbeds will be discussed in a later blog.

Hazmat Trailer Lab

Hazmat trailer lab interior

Sprinter van lab

Sprinter lab interior

Truck lab with slide out

Truck lab interior

Truck lab interior 2

  Modular containment labs have become increasing popular over the past 10-15 years.  They do not require the same process for construction approval as ‘stick-built’ labs and are an increasingly attractive solution to providing additional facility space and new technology capability to existing buildings.  Modular labs are designed and assembled by organizations with expertise in biocontainment, making them a sensible solution to providing turn-key containment capability in countries where resident expertise is not yet available or is nascent and would benefit from partnering with experienced entities.  They also are rapidly available from time of order to time of delivery (compared to ‘stick built labs’, the container itself is of low relative cost and can house a lab that is custom designed with ample space, and is easily shipped nationally and internationally.   

Modular Container - just delivered

Modular container lab interior rm 1

Modular lab interior- rm 2

In the 1950’s when Class III BSC became widley used in the nuclear and defense departments the primary focus for design was on absolute containment, with little attention given to ergonomic/user comfort.  Class II BSC became popular in the 1970’s and provided the user with an alternate means of primary containment.  While Class II BSC do not provide the same level of user and environmental protection, based on a risk assessment they do have a rightful and very useful place in the biocontainment laboratory.  In recent years with increasing work conducted at BSL-4 and the advent of samples containing mixed hazards or biological powders, there has been a significant resurgence in the use of Class III BSC in research, public health labs and with emergency responders.  It was time for the Class III BSC to be improved upon and redesigned for diverse missions.

Lessons have been learned and applied regarding enhancements to ergonomics.  Some have been taken from the design of Class II BSC such as use of:

• 10 degree tilt view panel to allow the user to lean into the screen for comfort and to reduce glare
• adjustable deck hight to provide more/user required leg room and accomodate work in a seated position
• control panels that are positioned so they can be observed easily by the operator

Other innovations were developed to increase user range of motion and decrease fatigue, to include:

• extra large, oval shaped gloveports to allow for natural arm positioning and extended reach
• a wide rimmed gloveport to enable the user to rest their arms
• the use of motion studies to determine the best locations for gloveports and to better size the work area (after all, what is the benefit of having a 33 inch (0.9 meter) deep BSC if you can not reach the back wall for manipulations or cleaning).

Other improvements were made when considering how containment labs are designed.  Class II BSC really have not changed much in 30 years and still have right angles where the walls, deck, back panel abd ceiling meet.  This can pose a challenge when wiping down surfaces during decontamination.  Per the CDC/NIH BMBL, WHO and Canadian Biosafety Guidelines, modern labs are constructed with coved or radiused joints to facilitate cleaning and prevent material from being trapped in 90 degree joints.  Rounded joints were easily incorporated into new Class III BSC designs.  Again, as in lab design, pass through boxes have been developed for BSC with interlocks and alarms to facilitate material transfer and prevent a accidental breach of containment. 

Interestingly the flow of design information is now going from Class III BSC to applications in the laboratory…namely the use of Rapid Tranfer Port embeds into laboratory walls.  These mate with mobile Class III BSC to faciliate the transfer of animals from the BSC to the holding room.

Prospective improvements have few limits as most Class III BSC are custom designed…the next advances will likely combine user requirements and ingenuity and manufacturer problem solving and design expertise.

References

Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) 5th Edition 

 Public Health Agency of Canada’s Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines

World Health Organization Biosafety Manual

The other day I was asked about glove selection for use in a Class III BSC and whether there were options other than butyl rubber.

             Gloves are supplied in a variety of materials from several manufacturers.  These materials include neoprene rubber, butyl rubber, and hypalon and have differing permeability rates with various chemical compounds (including decontamination chemicals). The selection of glove type should be made based on risk assessment that considers chemical permeability, operations (handling of animals or sharps), and the requirement for dexterity.  Start by consulting with a glove permeability chart when use of chemicals is anticipated, and for more specific information, contact the glove vendor for break through rates with the particular glove and chemical you plan to use.  This will help in the selection of the correct glove, as well as the time required to change the gloves before they break through. Strict specifications have been developed for butyl gloves by DOD. Consideration of the operation being performed is essential as the glove types differ significantly in the amount of dexterity needed; with butyl offering less dexterity than hypalon.

             Gloves are available in different thicknesses and hand sizes.  A balance between dexterity and protection should be considered in a risk assessment when specifying glove thickness.  Ordering the correct hand size is important for safety and ability to perform the work when using the gloves.  Gloves that are too large create a ballooning effect making it very difficult to manipulate equipment such as pipetters, small tubes, plates and other common items.  This increases the risk of a spill, contamination of the material and causes worker fatigue.

              Two part arm sleeve and glove systems are available.  This enables the user to select from a variety of gloves and sizes (to include exam gloves, nitrile and other gloves commonly used in microbiological laboratories) which greatly increases dexterity.  However the circular connector between the attachable glove and arm sleeve can be difficult to clean and thoroughly decontaminate. If this system is used, SOPs for thorough decontamination should be in place and personnel should practice decontaminating the glove and ring system (attaches the glove to the sleeve) prior to conducting work with pathogens.

hypalon glove

neoprene glove

Two-part glove system

   Gloves should be carefully inspected before commencing work within a Class III BSC.  While the entire glove and arm length should be inspected, particular attention should be given to the fingertips, the webbing between the fingers, and the connection point to the glove port.  These are areas which are most susceptible to wear, stress and operational damage.  Gloves should be visually inspected periodically for cleanliness during work, and especially if you suspect a breach may have occurred.  One advantage of hypalon gloves is that they are white in color making it easy to spot surface contamination. Gloves should be replaced when any cracks, wear areas, or tears are observed or if break through is suspected. 

             Even though work is conducted wearing gloves (typically an under glove and the outer glove attached to the Class III), personnel should thoroughly wash their hands after working in the Class III and prior to exiting the laboratory.

References:

 1. Glove selection chart

http://www.chem.duke.edu/safety/glove.html

 2. Glove permeability

http://www.himnrbehs.com/himnrbehs/pdf/2002-02-19%20Glove%20Safety%20Booklet.pdf

 3. MIL DTL 43976D (Military Standard for gloves); Dept of Defense, 2003

http://assist.daps.dla.mil/quicksearch/basic_profile.cfm?ident_number=24055

    There are several technologies typically used to transfer samples, materials and waste into and out of the Class III BSC. These include dunk tanks, pass through chambers, double door autoclaves and rapid transfer ports (RTP). 

    Dunk tanks allow for the passage of potentially contaminated materials out of the BSC without breaching containment.  It also allows for live samples to be removed for transfer to another lab or for archive.  The exterior of the primary container is surface decontaminated and packaged in a secondary container which is kept in contact with a chemical decontaminating solution in the dunk tank for a prescribed period of time.  The decontaminant and contact time are specified in laboratory SOPs, as is how frequently the decontaminant should be changed, and how recently it should be prepared prior to conducting work in the BSC.  The liquid must also be checked to ensure it is one inch, or the level specified by the manufacturer above the stainless steel divider that bisects the dunk tank.  Having a liquid level above the divider is needed to maintain containment and separation of unfiltered air from the room and Class III BSC.

       Dunk tanks can be designed with coved or oblong shapes for ease of cleaning, may be slightly graded for ease of draining, and can be designed with ‘cages and polls’ to keep containers and bags submerged, and retrieve the cages from the bottom of the tank for easy removal.  Kynar or Halar coatings should be bonded to the interior surfaces of the stainless steel dunk tank to protect them from the corrosive effects of many decontaminants.  A latch and administrative SOP or a timed interlock ensures both lids of the dunk tank are not opened at once, and that the material has been in appropriate contact with the decontaminant.

Oval slide-out dunk tank

    Pass through chambers allow for clean materials to be passed into the Class III BSC.  Potentially contaminated materials should not exit the BSC via the pass through chamber unless they are double contained with the package surfaces decontaminated.  The interior of the chamber should be surface decontaminated when materials are passed from the Class III to another location as even though the containers are surface decontaminated, there could be trace contaminants on the gloves, which could then contaminate the pass through chamber.  Once the inner door has been opened (between the chamber and the BSC) the chamber should be sprayed and surface decontaminated at the end of the experiment, or prior to opening the outer door that interfaces with the room (i.e. when additional supplies are to be introduced into the pass through chamber to the BSC).

       Pass through chambers doors are gasketted and airtight, and the chamber may be non-ventilated, or ventilated with the exhaust air HEPA filtered prior to release.  Typically the chambers have two doors, one that traverses the lab to the interior of the chamber and the other which connects the interior of the chamber to the interior of the BSC.  There can be doors servicing other areas as well. All doors should be interlocked, with an audible and visual alarm indicating when a door is not fully closed after an appropriate period of time has elapsed to transfer materials. 

Pass through chamber view on Class III BSC exterior

   Double door autoclaves are very useful in passing large items into the Class III BSC and to sterilize bulky waste and material at the end of the experiment.  The 5^th Edition BMBL advocates a double door autoclave be integral with the Class III BSC for BSL-4 cabinet laboratories.  

Double door autoclave integral to Class III BSC

    Rapid Transfer Ports (RTP) provide the user a safe, efficient and time saving method to introduce and remove material from a Class III BSC without potentially contaminating the laboratory.  RTP come in a variety of sizes ranging from small to very large cart mounted versions for animal transport in containment.  They can be made in stainless steel or high durability plastic. 

       The RTP maintains containment as its design features a beta flange lid exterior that mates to an alpha flange door exterior that is attached to the Class III BSC.  The lid and door are rotated and sealed and must form an interlock before door inside the BSC can be opened.  This exposes only the interior of the RTP cylinder to air and materials inside the BSC.  The process is reversed to uncouple the RTP.  The contents can be stored or the RTP can be opened with an allen key inside a Class II BSC where the materials are removed and the interior of the RTP is surface decontaminated for reuse.

Exterior of the sealed RTP being mated to the exterior of the BSC

Decontamination is a broadly used term that describes a number of techniques or strategies for reducing or eliminating the presence of hazardous microorganisms and biological toxins from various surfaces, materials and equipment.   Decontamination is important from a safety perspective as well as preventing cross contamination and maintaining the integrity of the work.

 Critical elements involved in the process include choice of decontaminant, site conditioning, biological indicator choice and monitoring for gas or vapor.  Chemicals frequently used in the decontamination process include: chlorine dioxide gas, 70% ethanol, gaseous paraformaldehyde/formaldehyde, liquid sodium hypochlorite/bleach, and hydrogen peroxide vapor.

When selecting a decontaminating agent a number of factors have to be considered to include the susceptibility of the organism to the decontaminating agent; contact time, temperature and relative humidity required; stability of the decontaminating agent; and the physical characteristics, material compatibility and surface properties of what is being decontaminated.  Decontaminating agents are typically harsh and can damage or leave a residue on gloves, stainless steel, electronics and other materials inside the BSC.

 Site preparation is a requirement regardless of which decontaminating agent is being used.  It entails pre-cleaning the interior of the BSC to remove bioburdens and other compounds that may interfere with decontamination such as protein, organic matter, salts, absorptive materials, and liquids and solid wastes to be autoclaved.  In the case of gaseous decontamination, the Class III BSC and its filter housings must be capable of being sealed to prevent the leakage of gas into inhabited spaces resulting in personnel exposure, and to prevent dilution of the concentration required for microbial killing.  Supply and exhaust vents, drain traps or dunk tanks, and any penetrations must be air tight and sealed. All areas requiring decontamination should be accessible for gas penetration, and a fan(s) may be required to disseminate the gas.

 Different biological indicators may be used for different gas decontaminants, and optimally contain the equivalent of 10⁶ organisms per BI to measure the effectiveness of the process.  Indicators should be distributed throughout the enclosure to be decontaminated with attention to stratification across height and areas that may be more difficult for gas or vapor to reach.  Users of BI’s should follow manufacturer instructions regarding incubation parameters and the type of decontamination systems for which they have been validated.  BI’s are not used when decontamination is by bleach or 70% ethanol wipe down.  In this case, successful decontamination can be confirmed by performing swab sampling throughout the area decontaminated and monitoring those swabs for growth of organisms. 

If BSC are to be decontaminated using gas or vapor, the room should be monitored for leaks of the decontaminant.  Dräger tubes, automated Dräger technology, Calibrated Miran SapphIRe 205B, or other equivalent systems are commonly used for monitoring leakage and the presence of monitor for chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, formaldehyde, and ammonia gases during and after decontamination.  The sensitivity of different technologies and models vary.  It is important that the monitoring system is sensitive and has adequate specificity so it can reliably and reproducibly measure concentrations below the OSHA permissible exposure level (PEL) with 95% confidence.

References:

Favero, M. S. and Bond, W. W. (1991). Chemical disinfection of medical and surgical materials, in Disinfection, Sterilization, and Preservation, 4th ed. (Ed. Block, S.), Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, PA, 621.

 Environmental Protection Agency (March 2005). Compilation of Available Data on Building Decontamination Alternatives Publication # EPA 600/R05/036.

http://www.epa.gov/NHSRC/pubs/600r05036.pdf

 Czarneski, M.A. (2007). Selecting the Right Chemical Agent for Decontamination of Rooms and Chambers. Applied Biosafety, 12(2), 85-92.

 Lever, M.S., Howells, J.L., Bennett, A.M., Parks, S. and Broster, M.G. (2008). The Microbiological Validation of a New Containment Level 4 Cabinet Line. Applied Biosafety, 13(2), 98-104.

Class III BSCs are often custom designed for specialized uses and range in size and engineering design from being portable (movement of animals) to stand-alone bench top to Class III BSC line configurations that span a room and have dedicated building ventilation systems.  Design and construction of the Class III BSC is based on a risk assessment, job hazard analysis, project requirements and its integration into the facility.  These and other factors lead to the generation of a basis of design document.

They may be designed to protect against biological hazards at BSL-3 or BSL-4; for handling powder, diagnostic or unknown samples, or conducting aerosol tests; or for working with mixed biological-chemical hazards (All Hazard Receipt Facilities, Public Health Laboratories).

There are some features that are standard across all Class III BSC.  The information in the following paragraphs is derived mainly from NSF 49 , CDC/NIH Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories 5th edition (BMBL)  and the PHAC Canadian Laboratory Biosafety Manual (LBM) .  The Class III BSC was designed for work with highly infectious microbiological agents and for conducting highly hazardous procedures (i.e. aerosol studies, work with infectious or toxin powders).   Compared to Class I BSC and Class II BSC the Class III BSC provides the maximum degree of protection for the environment and the worker.

It is a gas-tight enclosure (no leak greater than 1×10-7 cc/sec with 1% test gas at 3 inches pressure wg), and is often custom manufactured for an institutes project requirements from stainless steel with a viewing window that cannot be opened without the use of tools.   Prior to conducting work, large pieces of equipment and instrumentation can be introduced through the viewing window or other removable panels.  Typically materials are introduced and removed in one of several ways to include via a (a) pass through chamber, (b) integral autoclave, (c) dunk tank, or (d) rapid transfer port or docking station.  Materials are typically manipulated by using arm length gloves that are attached to glove ports in the BSC in an airtight manner.  

Air is exhausted through two HEPA filters, or a HEPA filter followed by incineration prior to exhaust.    The supply air is also HEPA filtered.  Unlike the Class II BSC which provides laminar airflow, the airflow in a Class III BSC is described as turbulent.  This makes it all the more important to correctly define inward airflow rates to maintain safety while not creating adverse conditions while working with samples (i.e. powders).  The Class III BSC is maintained under negative pressure (minimum of 0.5 inches of water gauge.)  

Class III BSC design and operational requirements are influenced by several prominent industry accepted standards for performance testing of Class III BSC in North America and Europe. 

Subsequent posts will provide more information on Class III BSC design variation based on user requirements, technology advances, and performance testing criteria.

NSF 49 Class II (Laminar Flow) Biosafety Cabinetry, NSF/ANSI 49-2008, Edition: 11th

The Laboratory Safety Blog has been developed to open a dialog and address a variety of topics regarding biological safety. We will cover topics ranging from general issues in biosafety and primary containment to Class III Biological Safety Cabinets as well as innovations in biosafety engineering.

The Laboratory Safety Blog serves as a professional forum for biosafety professionals and industrial hygienists, scientists and technicians, architects and engineers, and other professional groups with an interest in laboratory safety.  Based on questions we receive on a regular basis, some of the topics we will discuss in the near term include but are not limited to:

• Defining the standard Class III Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC).
• Identifying methods to transfer materials.
• Innovations in transferring lab animals and never breaking containment.
• Ergonomic improvements of Class III BSC over the past few years.
• Factors involved in choosing gloves, and an overview of glove availability.
• Methods of decontaminating a Biological Safety Cabinet.
• How to prepare a biosafety cabinet for gaseous decontamination.
• Determining the efficacy of the decontamination process.
• Explaining how a ventilated or non-ventilated pass through box works and the advantages/disadvantages of each.
• Various discussions on mobile labs, modular labs and their applications.
• Discussion of the guidelines for manufacturer and field testing of Class III BSC…and their differences.
• Development of best practices in Class III BSC field performance tests.

We invite reader questions and responses as part of a mutually beneficial educational process to strengthen a collective knowledge of biosafety, identify biosafety engineering products that are needed by user groups, and foster a safer, healthier and more productive workplace environment.