Collective protection

In the laboratory, activities are carried out that can lead to the release of various contaminants (physical, chemical or biological). It is essential to use collective protection equipment as a primary barrier to protect research personnel and their immediate environment, as well as to safeguard the safety of other people and the environment.

Examples of collective protection in the biological laboratory are biological safety cabinets (BSC), fume hoods, safety cuvettes for centrifuges and the use of sealed containers, and other engineering systems designed to eliminate or minimize exposure to hazardous biological materials.

Biological safety cabinets (BSC) and fume hoods are localized extraction equipment that allow the control of biological or chemical contamination generated during activity in research laboratories. It is important that this equipment is subject to a preventive quality and safety control program to ensure its proper functioning and to maintain the protection of research personnel and research areas.

Biological Safety Cabinets (BSC) are localized extraction equipment that act as a primary barrier in laboratories, preventing the dispersion of aerosols generated during the handling of biological agents. CSBs are designed with specifications that provide different levels of protection for workers, the environment and the product handled, protecting them from the risks associated with working with harmful biological agents and other infectious materials.

The so-called laminar flow cabinets are designed exclusively to maintain a sterile environment and protect the product, but they are not BSC.. The air sweeps vertically or horizontally over the work surface and the product with minimum air mixing and, consequently, minimum dispersion of the aerosols generated, reducing the risk of cross-contamination and protecting the product. Finally, the air comes out through the front of the cabin without receiving any kind of treatment and, therefore, without providing any guarantee of protection for the research staff. Thus, laminar flow cabinets must not be used when the presence of pathogenic biological agents is known or suspected.

Fume hoods are localized extraction equipment whose function is to control environmental exposure to chemical contaminants in the laboratory. This equipment protects the user from inhalation of harmful gases, vapors or aerosols by an induced flow of air through an adjustable working opening. This opening consists of a front screen (guillotine) that provides further protection against projections or splashes.

It is important to note that gas cabinets are not suitable for handling biological agents, as they do not protect the user from this type of contaminants.

The autoclave is a hermetically sealed, thick-walled metal apparatus that sterilizes laboratory materials by the physical method of “moist heat” (steam at high pressures and temperatures).

This device is widely used in research facilities as an elementary measure of sterilization of materials, since the high temperature and pressure conditions inside have a great penetration power in a wide range of materials and exert a high microbicidal action in short periods of time.

The main principle of autoclaving is the coagulation of the proteins of microorganisms, a process incompatible with their viability. However, it should be noted that there are acellular forms, such as prions, that can resist these conditions.