Biological Programs

All Biological Safety Cabinets are required to have an annual inspection and certification if used for primary containment and personal protection with biohazards. This annual inspection assures proper cabinet operation and capability in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications and/or the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) 49 Standard. It is also recommended that all Laminar Flow "Clean Benches" be certified annually to assure product protection capability.

Annual certifications cover, but are not limited to, the following inspection areas: Down Flow Velocity and Volume; Inflow Velocity (Face Velocity); Airflow Smoke Test; HEPA Filter Leak Test; Electrical Leakage; Ground Circuit Resistance and Polarity; Lighting Intensity; Cabinet Leak Test; Vibration & Noise Level; and Record of Field Certification. After successful inspection completion, certification labels will be placed on the Biological Safety Cabinet or Laminar Flow "Clean Benches". Note: All Biosafety Cabinets and Laminar Flow (Clean benches) that use an Ultraviolet (UV) lighting source are required to have a visible warning label that states a UV light source is in the cabinet and should not be on while occupants are in the laboratory.

Environmental Health & Safety (573) 882-7018 administers all Biological Safety Cabinet and Laminar Flow "Clean Benches" inspections and certifications. MU Campus has contracted with several accredited Outside Biological Safety Cabinet Certification Contractors using the lowest bid criteria to reduce rates and maintain service quality. Each MU Investigator has the option to use the MU Campus outside contractors or contract separately with another accredited certification contractor of their choice. The current MU Campus outside contractors listing and rates are available from Environmental Health & Safety.