Questions? How can we help?

We are committed to addressing questions about our products, and how they might address your projects and problems.  Feel free to look over our Frequent Questions list, or to call or e-mail us.  We WILL answer your question, or get you to someone who can, and we will do so promptly.

Q	How does the pressure control in your glovebox cabinets provide operator safety?
A	Safe-T-Dome cabinets use a slight vacuum or negative pressure to make sure that the materials handled inside cannot leak outside the cabinet.  Air can carry microbes, toxins and other materials long distances, but the protective vacuum in the glovebox ensures that air can only flow inward, away from the user.  This static vacuum protection is much greater than in fume hoods or class II BSCs dependent on complex controls to maintain dynamic flow patterns, and it makes release during use virtually impossible.
Q	Is the Safe-T-Dome the same as a class II or class III Biosafety Cabinet?
A	Safe-T-Dome cabinets provide protection from hazardous release similar to that provided by a class III Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC) and well beyond a class II BSC, but they are designed to operate differently.  A class II BCS protects the user by "washing" the hazardous contents in clean, laminar flow of air from above, capturing hazardous particles in a filter below the work surface.  Safe-T-Dome cabinets provide a complete barrier (glove box) around the hazard, and ensure it is contained inside with a static vacuum pressure in the dome.  While a class III BSC also provides a complete barrier (it's a glove box) it washes the hazard with clean, laminar air flow like the class II BSC.  Because the Safe-T-Dome is simpler than either type of BSC, it provides superior user protection, but without washing the hazard in clean air.  If it is critical to have maximum purity of the material processed in the cabinet, the BSC II or BSC III are better choices, since the clean air washing avoids contaminating the sample with microbes, dust or other materials from the operator or the room.  If operator safety is the critical need, the Safe-T-Dome is usually the better choice.
Q	How are your glovebox cabinets loaded with materials to examine or process?
A	Safe-T-Dome cabinets can be loaded or unloaded by lifting the entire front of the dome so that large samples, or tools can be inserted or removed without difficulty.  The dome is made of a rugged, light-weight polymer, so it is light enough to be lifted with one finger.  When the tools and materials needed are inside, the pump is powered and the vacuum pressure in the cabinet sucks the dome down to the base surface in 1 to 3 minutes.
Q	If the material I'm processing is not a threat for dispersion by air, what technology should I use to contain it?
A	The Safe-T-Dome Splash cabinet will provide effective containment for solids or liquids, although the Safe-T-Dome Splash DB is a better solution for containing significant spills that could pose problems in the standard glove box.  In the Safe-T-Dome Splash with the standard flat base, spilled liquid or powder may be released when the dome is opened, or may foul the gasket seal on the bottom flange.  The deep bowl option avoids these risks.
Q	Can your cabinets be used to handle radioactive materials?
A	Safe-T-Dome cabinets are used for handling radioactive materials, if short-term technician exposure is low.  The rubber gloves and polymer cabinet offer little or no protection from gamma, neutron and X-ray radiation, so only nuclear materials with low levels of this type of radiation are practical, unless additional shielding is provided by the user.  If no gaseous or particulate isotopes are emitted into the air, vacuum protection is not required, and the Safe-T-Dome Splash models can be used.  If vacuum models are used with radioactive gas, the gas will pass through the HEPA filter, so it must be controlled by remote discharge (pump hose extension kit) or by use of special filtration provided by the user.  If particulate isotope release is possible, the HEPA filter should be checked afterward, and if it emits dangerous levels of radiation, it should be disposed of as nuclear waste, and replaced with a new HEPA filter.
Q	Do your cabinets meet NSF 49 specification for Class II cabinets?
A	NSF 49 requires airflow for protection for contents and users, while our Safe-T-Dome vacuum glovebox cabinets provide superior protection for users (mechanical barrier & static vacuum) but less protection for contents.  The Safe-T-Dome follows our internal standard, not NSF 49.  Unless you require sterile or cleanroom conditions for materials you are processing inside, for most hazardous materials the Safe-T-Dome provides superior reliability and risk management compared with laminar flow protection from NSF 49 standard cabinets.
Q	What model is best for Chemotherapy preparation?
A	The Safe-T-Dome Pro DB is used for most chemo prep applications.  We recommend you contact us by phone or e-mail so we can assign an engineer familiar with oncology provide specific configuration recommendations for your oncology application.
Q	What is the Haz-Mat Kit or “Haz-Mat Fire Extinguisher”?
A	The Safe-T-Dome Haz-Mat Kit (the “Haz-Mat Fire Extinguisher”) is a rapid-deployment containment system for concentrated hazards.  The “Haz-Mat Fire Extinguisher” is used to contain a release before it can spread.  It includes our Safe-T-Dome Mobile vacuum glove box that weighs under 18 lbs with battery pack and carrying case allowing one-hand carry.
Q	What fume hood options do you have?
A	Safe-T-Dome vacuum glovebox cabinets are NOT Fume Hoods, but they provide better containment and protection than fume hoods, and they are easier to install & maintain.  Also, compared to fume hoods, they are far more energy efficient and economical to operate.  If you must use an open hood, the Safe-T-Dome Splash, without gloves may work for your application – One of our engineers can assist you with this option.