The operational integrity of a new BSC must be validated before it is put into service or after a cabinet has been repaired or relocated. Manipulating a BSC may break the HEPA filter seals or otherwise damage the filters or the cabinet.
Biological safety cabinets in laboratories and in animal care facilities approved for BSL2 and BSL3 experiments must be tested and certified annually by a qualified service person. Any repairs or maintenance work must also be contracted outside the University.
Biological safety cabinets belong to researchers and are not automatically certified by Facilities Management or Health, Safety, and Risk Management (HSRM). Each laboratory must make arrangements for initial and annual certification of the BSC.
The University does not endorse any specific certification service, but the certifiers must hold NSF-49 certification. The following companies offer BSC certification services in the Twin Cities:
| Company | Phone Number | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Test, Inc. | (847) 508-8821 | [email protected] | Wauconda, Illinois |
| BioCert Testing | (612) 730-9285 | [email protected] | Burnsville, Minnesota |
| Brager Scientific | (763) 586-0635 | [email protected] | River Falls, Wisconsin |
| CSI Testing, Inc. | (763) 383-9535 | n/a | Plymouth, Minnesota |
| ENV Services, Inc. | (800) 690-3368 | [email protected] | San Antonio, Texas |
| Gerbig Engineering | (888) 628-0056 | [email protected] | Burnsville, Minnesota |
| Health Systems Sciences, LLC | (507) 594-9395, ext 101 | [email protected] | Mankato, Minnesota |
| LabTech Midwest, Inc. | (262) 204-7600 | n/a | New Berlin, Wisconsin |
| Micro Technology | (800) 356-5999 | n/a | Lake Oswego, Oregon |
| Technical Safety Services | (800) 877-7742 | www.techsafety.com/ | |
| W. Clasmann Corporation | (414) 228-1213 | [email protected] | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |