During a typical day in a lab, science technicians must handle a variety of chemicals in order to develop new solutions that benefit different industries. Because most substances produce fumes that are toxic, lab employees must implement procedures to increase safety without decreasing productivity. Although there are numerous options that offer unique benefits, specific tools must be used in an environment where hazardous chemicals are handled. If you need something that can help you complete important tasks more efficiently in your lab, consider investing in a laboratory fume hood. This accessory is extremely helpful because it blocks four commonly used toxic substances.
Fume Hoods
Simple Guides to Employ Efficiency for Your Fume Hoods and Avoid Compromising Your Safety
As soon as you get your chemical fume hood, you should acquaint yourself with some of these helpful tips. This will help to keep you and your work family safe. It will also help to keep everything working properly.
Chemical Fume Hoods: 9 Quick Safety Tips
Useful Lab Equipment
One of the most useful items of lab equipment, a chemical fume hood helps protect against hazardous fumes, vapors and particles. From high school classes to large corporate research facilities, this expensive equipment offers great utility.
Proper Uses for Chemical Fume Hoods
Architects engineers and chefs are well aware of exhaust hoods required for stoves in residential kitchens as well as exhaust and sprinkler hoods required for commercial kitchens. These hoods have the ability to exhaust suck in unwanted smoke from cooking appliances and exhaust it to the outside air.
The Necessity Of Laboratory Exhaust Fume Hoods
Laboratory exhaust fume hoods are necessary in all laboratories regardless of the experiments that are being conducted. Every person working in the lab must know they are safe from toxic fumes that may be created during an experiment, and the fume hoods must have a powerful fan that will clear the room in a matter of moments. A fume hood must be installed by a professional, and only special chemical fume hoods can be used in laboratories.
#1: Use The Right Hood
A chemical fume hood is completely different from the hood found in a kitchen, and you must request the right sort of hood before you continue with your installation. A professional installer can help you choose the right hood for your lab, and you must ask the installer where the hood should be placed.
The hood will be attached to a special conduit that leads the gases out of the building, or the hood may be attached to an incinerator that burns off dangerous gases. Special hoods are designed for use with incinerators, and your installer must attach the hood to the incinerator properly. Your lab cannot fill with toxic gases if the hood is in operation, and you can safely dispose of the gases.
#2: Remote Operation
The switch for the hood must be located in the lab, but there must be a separate hood located outside the lab for use by safety personnel. People in the lab may be overcome the fumes, but the hood can be turned on from a remote location. The panel inside the room helps lab workers choose the speed of the fan, the force of the fan and how open the duct is. A small amount of fumes may be disposed of using the lowest settings on the hood, but toxic gases that have built up must be eliminated using the very highest settings on the hood.
#3: How Do You Make Room For The Hood?
The hood you use in your lab must have its own space in the ceiling, and the hood must sit over the most volatile work area in the lab. Perform your most dangerous experiments directly under the hood, and ask your installer if the place where you keep those experiments is a good place for the hood. A wise installer will point you to the right location for the hood, and you may adjust the layout of your lab space accordingly.
#4: How Long Must They Last?
A chemical fume hood will last a very long time if it is cleaned and serviced properly. Every hood must be cleaned properly, and the services must be done on your fume hood every few months. The cleaning for the hood will include a complete adjustment, and there must be a report on the status of the hood. Every person who uses the hoods must have a record of the cleanings, and you should shut down experiments in the lab if the hood is every found to be lacking.
You can keep your laboratory much safer than normal with the use of just one hood, but every sensitive experiment location must have its own hood. The hoods for the lab must be purchased and installed from the same location, and you will benefit from service done by the same technician who did the initial installation. The lab cannot be completely safe without special hoods to pull out toxic gases, and you must consider how your staff will use the hoods when you are in an emergency situation. Proper procedures and equipment will help you run your lab safely and cleanly.
Questions to Ask Yourself before Buying Fume Hoods
If you’re looking for fume hoods to help make your lab a lot more efficient, then it would be advisable that you ask yourself the needed questions first.
Why?
The lab furniture and equipment you use will actually play a major role on how effective your laboratory will be. Hence, you should choose your pieces carefully and objectively. And by asking the right and proper questions, you get to make that possible.
Interested?
Here are some questions that you might want to ask yourself before investing in lab fume hoods (or other laboratory furniture pieces for that matter):
Q1: What Specific Furniture Pieces Do I Need?
Chances are we have different needs and requirements for our lab tasks and operations. So, in order to make the right choices, we need to make a careful assessment of what we need. Accordingly, this can help us prioritize on the things that need urgent attention—and eventually reap more benefits in the end.
For example: Do you need chemical fume hoods to maintain safety in your lab? Or do you need new chemical safety cabinets for storage? How about a new lab table? What specific laboratory task needs to be improved on (or need new furniture)? Note: By knowing which is which, you get to make the proper moves later on. Accordingly, this will help you avoid unwanted issues as well.
Q2: Does The Furniture Comply with the Needed Standards?
Fume hoods and other related furniture pieces need to be safe for use. There’s no denying that. After all, lab tasks require the handling of sensitive chemicals and items—and you shouldn’t be taking unnecessary risks.
With that in mind, you should ensure that the furniture or equipment you’re using is actually safe. Does it comply with OSHA or ASHRAE standards? Can it actually withstand the chemicals or elements that you are handling in your lab?
Remember: Safety and efficiency must go together. So, you should only invest in pieces that can bring these for you.
Q3: Am I Dealing with the Right Manufacturer / Supplier?
In order to find the right lab furniture or equipment—you need to deal only with companies who actually know what to do. As much as possible, only deal with professionals that have already been tried and tested for efficiency. Incidentally, RDM is the name to trust in this arena.
For over 37 years, RDM has been providing clients with efficient, durable and safe industrial and lab furniture. All our products meet the needed standards and qualifications—and we intend to maintain that same level of excellence and quality.