Edition 4/11-2012
SAFETY REVIEW:
FLAMES IN BIOSAFETY
CABINETS
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Enjoy and Be SAFE!!
FIRE RISK:
Using Flames in Biosafety
Cabinets
IBC News
U OF R- ENV. HEALTH & SAFETY
Do you use a Bunsen burner,
micro burner, or open flame
in your biosafety cabinet to
ensure sterility? Is your
flame continuous or is it ondemand? Do you realize that
using a flame in a biosafety
cabinet adds a potential fire
risk to your experiments?
Generally, fires in biosafety
cabinets occur because open
flames ignite paper wipes
which have been soaked
with ethanol. These fires can
result in significant damage
and cost, even if the fire is
contained within the cabinet.
Open flames also:
Disrupt the biosafety
cabinet’s air flow, compromising protection of
both the worker and the
experiment.
Cause excessive heat
buildup, which may
damage HEPA filters
and/or melt the adhesive holding the filter
together, and thus compromising the cabinet’s
integrity.
May ignite a flammable
atmosphere generated
in the biosafety cabinet
through excessive use
of ethanol during disinfection routine, through
ethanol bottle leaks, and
through natural gas
leaks.
Class II Type A2 cabinets re-circulate 70% of
the air entering the
cabinet, therefore it’s
possible to have a rapid
build-up of flammable
gases or vapors and
ignition by an open
flame or by the biosafety cabinet electrical
components (i.e. lights,
fan motors, electrical
outlets). Note that the
vast majority of biosafety
cabinets at the University
are Class II Type A2 cabinets.
Inactivate manufacturers
warranties on the cabinet.
Cabinet manufacturers will
assume no liability in the
event of fire, explosion or
worker exposure due to the
use of a flammable gas in
the cabinet. Additionally,
the UL approval will automatically be void.
Recommendations:
Environmental Health and
Safety strongly discourages
the use of gas burners and
alcohol flames in biosafety
cabinets.
Per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention http://
www.cdc.gov/biosafety/
publications/bmbl5/index.htm
Appendix A:
"Open flames are not required
in the near microbe-free environment of a biological safety
cabinet. On an open bench,
flaming the neck of a culture
vessel will create an upward air
current which prevents microorganisms from falling into the
tube or flask. An open flame in
a BSC, however, creates turbulence which disrupts the pattern
of HEPA-filtered air supplied to
the work surface. When deemed
absolutely necessary, touchplate microburners equipped
with a pilot light to provide a
flame on demand may be used.
Internal cabinet air disturbance
and heat buildup will be minimized. The burner must be
turned off when work is completed. Small electric "furnaces"
are available for decontaminating bacteriological loops and
needles and are preferable to an
open flame inside the BSC.
Disposable sterile loops can also
be used."
Solutions:
Early microbiologists had to
rely on open flames to ensure
sterility. However, with the
advancement of modern technology, including the introduction of the biosafety cabinet, the
use of an open flame is almost
always no longer necessary.
Remove Bunsen burners
including micro burners
and/or replace with alternative technology
such as electric incinerators (Bacti-Cinerator)
Use disposable loops,
spreaders, and other
instruments
Autoclave instruments
such as tweezers, scissors and scalpels. Consider using a glass bead
sterilizer in the cabinet.
Reduce the amount of
flammable chemicals in
the cabinet. Maintain
only enough alcohol for
one day’s work.
If it is deemed absolutely necessary for the
experiment being done,
use a pilotless burner or
touch-plate microburner
(Touch-O-Matic) to
provide a flame on demand.
BactiCinerator
Glass Bead
Sterilizer
Touch-O-Matic
Mary
Jo’s
Corner !
Check the certification dates on your biosafety cabinet(s) and fume hood(s).
Call the certifier if your cabinet is due (or past due) for a certification!
Make sure that Bunsen Burners are not used in the biosafety cabinet!
Alternatives are available (see page 1).
Make sure that all new lab members (students or interim personnel) have done both the university lab safety training
(http://www.safety.rochester.edu/ih/ihlabhome.html )as well as the lab specific safety training.
Timely
Tips!
Check your BSL2 work areas to ensure : BSL2 Areas have signage!
Door Signage is up to date ( contact information is current)
To register after hours information with Security Service
Equipment Signage ( for existing & newly acquired centrifuges, refrigerators, freezers, & incubators) is accurate
Persons working with human materials ( blood, body fluids or tissues) have been offered the hepatitis B vaccine & persons handling the vaccinia virus have been offered the vaccinia vaccine(http://www.safety.rochester.edu/ibc/MedSurvResource.html)
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which includes gloves, safety glasses, masks, face shields, and lab coats is
available in all lab areas and IS WORN!!!!
For the
Purchases of new centrifuges include safety cups or sealed rotors which act as secondary containment in case a tube
breaks inside the unit.
New Year:
Review
2012
Food and Drink are allowed only in designated areas – Never in Work Areas!
and
Plan for a
safe 2013!
Electronic devices should only be handled with non-gloved, washed hands!
Wishing you a safe 2013! ~Mary Jo