As part of the biosafety measures in TB labs, there are specific standards that need to be followed for lab equipment.

Key Features of Laboratory Equipment in TB Laboratories

The equipment should be:

Ventilation is an essential biosafety design feature in a TB lab.

Laboratory ventilation has three basic elements: 

1. Ventilation rate  

Amount of outdoor air that flows into the laboratory.

2. Airflow direction 

Overall direction of air flowing through the laboratory should be from functionally clean areas to dirty areas.

3. Airflow pattern 

The basic recommended design features of TB laboratories to ensure appropriate biosafety are:

• Adequate ventilation and directional airflow; 6-12 air exchanges per hour (ACH) is adequate ventilation for TB laboratories.
• Ample space for the safe conduct of laboratory work and for cleaning and maintenance (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Ample and open spacing in an ideal TB lab