The Office of Biosafety arranges for the annual certification of biosafety cabinets and laminar flow hood/clean benches. We also manage the preventative maintenance contract for shared use campus autoclaves and associated boilers.

 

Biosafety Cabinets

Certification
Biological safety cabinets (BSC's) must be certified annually, upon receipt, and upon relocation. The Biosafety Office schedules annual certification to take place each July and can assist with scheduling certification for new units and relocated units. EHS covers the costs of these certifications. 

Moving Equipment
BSC's MUST be decontaminated when they are relocated. Decontamination is performed by the campus contractor using vaporized hydrogen peroxide. Remember to contact us once your cabinet has been relocated so that it can be re-certified. 

Repairs
If your BSC fails or stops working correctly, contact us so that we can assist in scheduling repairs. The cost of repairs is the responsibility of the PI/department and EHS will cover the cost of recertification once the repairs are completed.

 

Autoclaves

Maintenance of Autoclaves
The Biosafety Office manages the campus contract for autoclave preventative maintenance. This contract covers quarterly maintenance and replacement of parts as well as repair of broken autoclave for shared-use, departmental autoclaves and their associated boilers. If your autoclave is in need of repair or maintenance, please contact your building manager ASAP so that a repair can be coordinated in a timely manner. 

Working Safely with Autoclaves

  1. Biohazard waste from BSL-1 and 2 labs should be disposed of directly into EHS-supplied Biohazard Waste Boxes lined with red biohazard bags and should NOT be autoclaved prior to disposal. Biohazard waste is collected by EHS, transported offsite for autoclaving, and then disposed of. 
  2. Always use autoclave-safe plastics and materials
  3. Ensure the pressure gauge reads zero before attempting to open the autoclave after a cycle
  4. Always allow items to cool and wear heat-resistent gloves when removing items from an autoclave