If you have any issue with a BSC, please send a [ticket](https://service.uni.lu/sp?id=sc_cat_item&sys_id=be0873f8db7070505c72ef3c0b96199f&sysparm_category=af924f17dbac38105c72ef3c0b96194b) to the Support Team.
If you are not sure a BSC is the right hood to use for your experiment, please check the How To Card related to the different types of hoods or contact the LCSB safety officer.
If you are not sure a BSC is the right hood to use for your experiment, please check the [How To Card](https://howto.lcsb.uni.lu/external/lab-equipment/hoods/) related to the different types of hoods or contact the LCSB safety officer.
If you have any question regarding the usage of a BSC, please send a ticket to the Support Team or contact the LCSB Safety Officer.
## Good practices
## Recommendations
- The user must wear a BSL2 **lab coat** and **gloves** while using a BSC.
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@@ -84,6 +82,22 @@ Corrosive chemicals such as bleach should be avoided, but if used, should be fol
-**Remove your waste as soon as you have finish your work**.
- When work is completed, clear the workspace and clean the space with Ethanol 70% or with Bacillol 30. Please refer to the Waste Concept training <https://unisupport.docebosaas.com/learn/course/42/waste-management-concept>.
- When work is completed, clear the workspace and clean the space with Ethanol 70% or with Bacillol 30. Please refer to the [Chemical and Biological Waste Management](https://howto.lcsb.uni.lu/external/lab-hsa/waste/).
## UV lights
Extract from Environmental Health and Safety, University of Washington: *The trouble with UV light in your biosafety cabinet*.
You may want to turn on the UV lights. If so, be aware that it may not be as effective for sterilization/decontamination purposes as you need it to be.
Indeed, ultraviolet radiation is a form of non-ionizing radiation, and biological effects from it vary with wavelength, photon energy, and duration of exposure. The 100-280 nm wavelength band is designated as UV-C, which is used for germicidal purposes.
The sterilization/decontamination activity of UV lights is limited by a number of factors, including:
- You may want to turn on the UV lights.
-**Penetration** In the dynamic air streams of BSCs, microorganisms beneath dust particles, plastics, and work surfaces are not affected by the UV light because it cannot penetrate particles so far from the UV source.
-**Relative humidity** The germicidal effects of UV light drop off precipitously when relative humidity is above 70%.
-**Temperature and air movement** The optimum temperature for the UV lamp to be effective is 25-27°C. Temperatures below this range result in reduced efficacy, and air movement can exacerbate this.
-**Cleanliness** Dust and dirt block the germicidal effectiveness of the UV lamp, so weekly cleanings are necessary.
-**Age** Check UV lamps every six months to assure proper function, as the amount of germicidal wavelength emitted decreases with bulb age and hours of use.
-**Overuse** UV lights are routinely left on overnight or longer in an effort to decontaminate workspaces, but this practice can result in the germicidal wavelength no longer being produced by the bulb.
For these reasons and environmental concerns, it is not recommend to use the UV lights in BSCs. Retrofitting any equipment (e.g., UV lights) into a cabinet may alter the air flow characteristics, invalidate the manufacturer warranty, and is not recommended.
