Direct-connected or canopy connected Biosafety Cabinets (BSCs) Class II, Type A1 and A2 without exhast alarm, will not be certified after April 15, 2016.
What is the change?
NSF Accredited field certifiers shall no longer certify either direct-connected Type A cabinets or canopy connected Type A cabinets without exhaust alarms, even if specifically asked to do so by the customer.
What does that mean?
All Class II Type A cabinets (past or present) that are exhausted outdoors must be connected by a functioning Canopy Exhaust Connection (CEC) and equipped with an exhaust airflow alarm. The use of Hard Exhaust Connections (HECs) will not be allowed.
Do I have a Direct-connected or Canopy-connected Type A BSC?
Hard ducting of Type A and/or Type A/B3 BSCs was acceptable for some NSF-listed BSCs from 1981-2002. Canopy connections, defined in the late 1970s did not have a requirement for an exhaust alarm until 2012. As a result, there may be numerous NSF-listed Type A BSCs with a hard connection or with the canopy not equipped with a suitable alarm system that can no longer be certified by an NSF-accredited certifier.
You can type the manufacturer’s name in the following website and determine if there is a possibility for your BSC to be canopy-connected: http://www.nsf.org/certified-products-systems
When will this change happen?
After April 15, 2016, field certifiers will not certify these cabinets.
What do I need to do?
If you do not have a direct-connected or canopy-connected Type A BSC, you do not need to do anything. If you have a direct-connected or canopy-connected Type A BSC, please contact biosafe@emory.edu, and we will assist you in what you need to do before April 15th.
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