Authors: Brett Cole and Verity Cox

Date: 9th of January 2024

It is absolutely essential to carry out decontamination procedures before performing annual certification, filter change, maintenance work, or relocation of a Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC). This is a crucial step that helps ensure the safety of the technician who will be changing the filters. It is important to note that any biological material handled in the BSC ultimately ends up in the plenum, which is located at the top of the cabinet.

While end-users can easily clean the BSC work surface with an approved disinfectant, cleaning the plenum is a completely different matter. This is where gaseous decontamination comes into play.

Gaseous decontamination is a highly effective method of reaching and inactivating microbial pathogens and spores that are present in the plenum of the cabinet and the High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. This process involves introducing a gaseous sterilant into the cabinet, which then circulates throughout the entire cabinet, including the plenum and the HEPA filter. The sterilant effectively kills any microorganisms that may be present, ensuring that the cabinet is completely clean and safe for the technician to work in.

It is important to note that gaseous decontamination is a specialized process that requires the use of specialized equipment and trained personnel. It is therefore important to work with a reputable company that has the necessary expertise and experience to carry out this procedure safely and effectively.