Cleanbench
AAF has a tremendous experience in working together with the leading Laminar Flow cabinet manufacturers around the world. We understand the technical requirements and services required by this industry and have developed our products accordingly.
The Cleanbench Industry:
Basically, there are three types of laminar airflow benches:
- Horizontal and vertical flow cabinets (product protection)
- Extraction cabinets (people protection)
- Microbiological Safety Cabinets (MSC) Class I, II and III (product, people environment protection and cross contamination)
Class I Cleanbenches: these have unrecirculated airflow away from the operator which is eluted to the atmosphere through a HEPA/ULPA filter. They are designed to protect the operator but offer no protection to the material from contamination in the bench.
Class II Cleanbenches: these are designed to provide people, product and environmental protection. They enable work involving microorganisms in Hazard Group Level 2, 3 and 4 laboratories which are most commonly biomedical research related. Class 2 benches are divided into subtypes A and B on the basis of their construction, airflow velocities, air distribution and exhaust systems. Further subdivision specifies subtypes A1 and A 2 while type B is subdivided into B1 and B2. These benches are suitable for Hazard Groups 1, 2 and 3.
Class III Cleanbenches: these benches are totally enclosed and air tight with HEPA filter on the supply and exhaust side of the bench. The bench separates the worker from the work by a barrier and the work is carried out via long sleeved gloves.
These benches protect the worker and the products and are designed for Hazard Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4.
| Hazard Group (HG) Levels and Definitions | Class of Cleanbench |
| HG 1: a biological agent unlikely to cause human disease. | Class I or Class II |
| HG 2: a biological agent that can cause human disease and may be a hazard to employees. | Class I or Class II |
| HG 3: a biological agent that can cause severe human disease and presents a serious hazard to employees. | Class II |
| HG 4: a biological agent that causes severe human disease and is a serious hazard to employees. | Class III |
Cleanbench manufacturers’ are compelled by industry regulation and law to have their benches certified to comply with EN12469:2000 standard, which describes the performance criteria for microbiological safety cabinets.
