Abstract

For many years safe containment of biological samples has been achieved in the laboratory by the use of Microbiological Safety Cabinets.  These devices can provide sample protection from laboratory contamination, operator protection from the sample, or both dependant on the type of Safety Cabinet selected.  The design and use of Microbiological Safety Cabinets are strictly defined within the European Microbiological Safety Cabinet standard EN12469:2000.Traditionally Safety Cabinets have been designed for manual use by a single or perhaps 2 laboratory staff. However as automation within the laboratory has increased many instruments and processes can no longer be accommodated within standard Safety Cabinets. CAS explain how this containment challenge has been met by close partnership with automation providers to produce a new range of much larger Safety cabinets, pre-engineered to suit the automated process. The use of a new generation of Safety Cabinets has provided safe containment of automated equipment, protecting both samples and laboratory personnel and providing a validatable protection regime to meet regulatory requirements. Close cooperation with automation partners ensures that the automated instruments can be easily utilised and maintained whilst ensuring both samples and lab staff are protected.