Class II Type A2 Biological Safety Cabinet / Tissue Culture Hood (Biosafety Cabinet)

A class II biological safety cabinet is a partially enclosed workspace that has built in protection for the worker, the environment, and the material inside of it. Class II biological safety cabinets have open fronts, a vertical laminar air flow, so outside air is run through a filter before it gets inside, and a HEPA filter for filtering air from inside before it goes outside the cabinet. Used in microbiology labs, pharmaceutical labs, and cancer research labs, class II biological safety cabinets protect the bacteria, viruses, and carcinogens being manipulated inside the cabinet while shielding them from outside contamination. There are four types of class II cabinets, A, B1, B2, and B3, each having different requirements for how much air must be vented outside the building.

The size, cost of running and maintenance, and the type of material to be handled will all help decide which type of class II biological safety cabinet is right for any given laboratory.