There is increasing concern about the risks of cross-contamination in the workplace with only 20 per cent of laboratory acquired infections stemming from reported accidents, such as broken glass or needle sticks.
This is of major concern in hospital settings, where one in ten patients contract an infection during their treatment at a cost to the UK National Health Service of up to £1 billion a year.
However, the new range will also be of interest in pharmaceutical research and quality control laboratories, which often need to maintain an aseptic environment.
Labcaire claims to be the only safety cabinet manufacturer in the world to offer antimicrobial finishes as standard on its models. The coating technology used on the products has been acquired from fellow UK firm Biocote .
The Biocote coating provides an additional level of defence against microbial contamination by preventing stray cells from reproducing.
