Biological Safety Cabinet Moving Guidelines
Laboratory personnel and Department Business Managers should note that before a biological safety cabinet (BSC) is moved, decontamination may be required.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) publication entitled Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Labs found at http://www.cdc.gov/od/ohs/biosfty/bmbl5/sections/AppendixA.pdf says:
"Before a BSC is relocated, a risk assessment considering the agents manipulated within the BSC must be performed to determine the need and method for decontamination."
NSF/ANSI Standard 49 Class II (Laminar Flow) Biosafety Cabinetry states in Appendix G,
"Cabinets potentially contaminated with biological agents should be suitably decontaminated before they are moved to another location."
Therefore, Site Support/Physical Plant/Operations will not/should not move a biological safety cabinet unless a risk assessment is performed (by the EHSO) to determine the need for decontamination. Alternatively, the need for decontamination can be presumed.
The University has a contract in place for BSC certification and decontamination. The current vendor on this contract is A+ Biomedical, (918) 665-0346.
If you have any questions, contact your campus EHSO.
This file was updated on:
1/15/08
. Any comments or suggestions should be forward to the Environmental Health and
Safety Office.
Every effort will be made to update the information contained on these pages as necessary. However, it is the responsibility of the user to determine that he or she is relying on the most current version of any particular information. Any questions about the material should be directed to the referenced office or department.