At SEPS, lab safety, cleanliness and efficiency are our priority. It doesn’t matter if you need equipment cleaning or contamination prevention. Ultimately, our team maintains a commitment to delivering total safety to every lab we serve. Still, after a year and a half, we must remain vigilant when it comes to COVID-19. Before, during, and after the pandemic, labs remain an essential business that we now rely on more than ever. Therefore, keeping them clean, functional, safe and productive remains our highest priority.
Anyone familiar with cleanrooms understands precisely how important filtration is to safety. Right now, as the pandemic remains an issue across the United States, it’s more important than ever. Most cleanroom employees know that fan/filter units redirect and eliminate airborne agents that can compromise samples. As a result, months (or years) of work or research can instantly go to waste. However, they also remove bacteria, viruses and mold spores that contribute to countless infections. In this post, we’ll discuss how fan and filter units can go the extra mile to remove harmful contaminants from your lab or cleanroom.
Originally posted on May 22, 2020, this post has been updated for accuracy and relevancy.
Labs and the Threat of Superbugs
Even before the pandemic became a global issue, pathogens were a familiar adversary for lab workers. Therefore, sterilization, sanitation, and cleanroom testing and certification were always priorities within these settings. This is especially true in any lab with biosafety level (BSL) ratings. Also, within the last few years, labs were vigilant towards the threat of superbugs.
Superbugs are drug-resistant pathogens that standard antibiotics cannot kill. In addition, they can result in critical infections that are difficult to cure. Moreover, they’re very much capable of instantly compromising biological samples in a permanent, irreversible way. Before COVID-19, these superbugs were (generally) the central concern of lab and medical employees. However, with effective fan/filtration units, cleanroom air showers, and routine maintenance, any lab or clinic can mitigate the threat.
Fan/Filtration Units
Right now we’re more hyper-aware of antiviral practices now than ever. Of course, within labs and other similar facilities, hygiene has always been imperative. However, as the pandemic drags on, it’s a much more pressing matter to remain aware of. Hand washing, social distancing, masks, and PPE are simple methods that can inhibit the spread of numerous microorganisms. But, did you know that fan/filtration units, like fume hoods, are wildly efficient at eliminating harmful airborne particles?
For years, fan and filter units were essential to removing airborne contaminants. Usually, these particles decimate samples and destroy the hard, tedious work employees spend months or years conducting. However, what most people don’t know is that fan/filtration units can also eliminate infectious agents from the workplace, as well.
HEPA Filtration
Now of course, we’re not saying that fan/filtration units and laminar air flow are the only techniques that can inhibit the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses. Obviously, we should all continue washing our hands, social distancing and get the COVID-19 vaccination. However, under normal circumstances, fan/filtration units (specifically HEPA filtration) can keep your lab/cleanroom free from pathogens.
Most lab employees know that HEPA is synonymous with quality. Even if they’re not sure precisely what it means, they understand its power and popularity. HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air. These filters trap 99.97% of particles that are 0.3 microns. Basically, when it comes to removing airborne agents, HEPA is the absolute best filtration you can get. In the aftermath of COVID-19, HEPA filtration may be your best chance to keep personnel safe.
Conclusion
At SEPS, keeping labs safe and clean is our passion. For decades, we’ve done our part to sterilize, decontaminate and decommission lab equipment. We’re accredited and affiliated with the industry’s leading professional and educational organizations. Essentially, we’ve gotten recognition as a reputable provider of lab services. We’ll continue to serve the scientific and medical communities to provide guidance and cleaning services as needed.
