What is the protective cabinet that provides containment for workers when handling infectious microorganisms?

• A. Laminar Flow Hood
• B. Fume Hood
• C. Biological Safety Cabinet
• D. Biosafety Cabinet

Answer: (C)

A Biological Safety Cabinet is designed to contain infectious microorganisms while protecting the worker. It creates a barrier and uses HEPA filtration to clean both the inflow and exhaust air, so air is drawn from the room into the cabinet, passes through filters, and is exhausted only after filtration. This airflow protection helps keep the user safe, while also helping protect the material being worked with and, to some extent, the surrounding environment. Laminar flow hoods focus on keeping the product clean but do not provide adequate containment for pathogens. Fume hoods are for chemical fumes, not biological containment. Biosafety cabinet is another term for the same type of equipment, but the standard name emphasizes its role in biosafety.