Depending on the state you are located in and your research area, your laboratory will have very specific construction requirements. This is something of particular importance to private labs, especially when the dividing line between lab and workshop blurs. Private enterprises develop prototypes and perform proprietary research according to a profit motive. That means they need safe labs for a reasonable price. RDM Industrial Products’ lab tables and other laboratory furnishings are designed to be part of the solution.
The University System of Georgia’s Design Criteria for Laboratories presents a comprehensive set of guidelines for safe lab furnishings. Every state has its own specifications, but this is a good example of what you should consider when furnishing even a modest lab. Even if your “lab” is really more of a production facility that uses specialized chemicals and materials, think of the following typical requirements:
Lab Furnishing Surfaces: Our lab furniture surfaces page discusses the options we can provide for custom and prefab lab furniture. We recommend Trespa’s TopLab Plus™ as an excellent general purpose surface for lab tables and countertops. It’s heat and chemical resistant, hygienic and can be worked like hardwood, to accept grooves, sinks, cup sinks and fixtures. We also offer more specialized surfaces in stainless steel, galvanized steel, resin, laminate and more.
If your furnishing requirements are less formal, you may want to consider our industrial workbench line.
Lab Furnishing for Ventilation: If you work with gasses, anything that might create gasses in the event of an accident or materials that can contaminate the air in dust or droplet form, you need ventilation systems capable of routing containing them. As you can see in the USG’s guidelines, laboratory fume hoods are some of the most important safety fixtures in any lab where air quality is a concern. We offer standard and custom models to fit your specific applications.
Lab Storage Furnishings: Half of lab safety is safe storage. Proper supervision can cut accidents in the lab, but if your materials are stored improperly misfortune can strike long after everyone’s gone home. Storage cabinetry and casework needs to be sturdy and secure. After that, the requirements depend on the materials being stored. Our general purpose lab cabinets are excellent for nonspecific materials storage. Build of 18-guage steel, they won’t be bent or broken in typical accidents. We also have special chemical resistant cabinets and flame resistant cabinets. All of our cabinets support many additional custom features including rollers, peg boards and multiple surface options.
The three areas above are not an exhaustive exploration of lab requirements. You should always consult state and federal regulations and guidelines for lab furniture. When you know what you need, please Contact RDM; we have the expertise to provide solutions for any sized lab.
