Biosafety Cabinets
Biosafety cabinets (BSCs) are the primary containment barrier designed to protect personnel and the environment when manipulating infectious materials. As such, their proper maintenance cannot be over emphasized.
BSC Inspection and Certification
- BSCs must be inspected and certified before they are first used
- BSCs must be re-certified annually
- BSCs must be inspected and certified after repairs or relocations
- Principal investigators are responsible for scheduling on-site field testing of the BSCs in their laboratories
- If a BSC has not been inspected and certified within the past 365 days, it should not be used with biohazards until such testing has been completed
Who do I contact to certify my BSC?
The University has a contract for BSC certification, repair, and decontamination. Email TSS to submit a work request.
BSC Decontamination
If a BSC in a BSL-2 lab needs to be moved to another building, it must be decontaminated by PAT prior to transport and recertified once it is in its new location. Email TSS to submit a work request.
Decontamination form: https://vpr.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Equipment-Decontamination-Form-Ver-1.3-Fillable.pdf