Scientific laboratories exist to serve a variety of industries, and the items and equipment you will find inside of them are just as, if not more, diverse than the laboratories themselves. There are a few mainstays that every good laboratory should have, though:
To name a few, personal protective equipment, measuring devices, and eye wash stations. But what about chemical containment units and ventilation systems?
Fume hoods are a type of ventilated enclosure that can completely separate employees from hazardous substances, including gases, dust, vapors, and fumes. This protects workers and allows them to view and manipulate objects without direct interaction or exposure to hazardous substances.
Here are five detailed reasons why every scientific lab needs to be designed with a fume hood installed when working with dangerous gasses and chemicals. Read more below on why you should consider adding a fume hood to a science lab.
1. Worker Safety
Worker safety should be the first priority of any laboratory, especially those working with hazardous substances. A fume hood contains a ventilation system that will suck hazardous substances from the surrounding atmosphere, providing an additional layer of employee safety not manageable through lab coats and safety glasses alone.
2. Ventilating the Lab
To further elaborate, a fume hood serves to separate and contain gasses, vapors, and fumes from the air inside of the laboratory. They are later dispelled from the laboratory through the connected ductwork and then exhausted into the atmosphere outside via an exhaust fan.
This keeps the air inside of the laboratory free of smog, chemical build-up, and unpleasant smells. More importantly, it prevents airborne chemicals from potentially mixing with one another, which could result in burns, explosions, fires, or chemical absorption.
3. Increases Lab Test Accuracy
A lack of proper ventilation can interfere with the accuracy of lab results by allowing airborne chemicals to mingle and introduce unaccounted-for variables to lab tests. A fume hood safely contains and segregates chemical substances, preventing possible chemical reactions with one another from occurring.
4. Warn Employees of Potential Risks
Fume hoods are generally equipped with gauges, sensors, and alarms that warn the user when they are at risk of being exposed to hazardous fumes. This allows preventative action to be taken before potentially catastrophic events can occur.
5. Compliance with GMP Standards
Good Manufacturing Processes, or GMP, are a set of regulations set by the Food and Drug Administration. GMP quality control enforces the integrity of manufactured products, sets regulations for how laboratories should develop, manufacture, and store their products. And that’s only the beginning!
GMP quality control is important because the regulations they set ensure that products produced by industries, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food, and medical services, are safe for mass distribution. Following proper GMP protocols can also reduce the risk of product recalls or lawsuits against the laboratory manufacturing said products.
In short, your scientific laboratory needs to be properly ventilated to meet GMP standards, protect workers, ensure the manufacturing of quality products, and prevent workplace accidents. A fume hood is one way to achieve that.
Published by: Martin De Juan
