Nearly half of all energy used to power a laboratory is focused on a single function: keeping the room ventilated. From pharmaceutical buildings to educational facilities, chemical fume hoods are a non-negotiable part of safe lab operations.
But what are the actual threats fume hoods protect your lab workers from – and how do you ensure they are doing their job?
This article answers those questions once and for all. It provides everything you need to understand the role and maintenance of chemical fume hoods – as well as how to find the right certified professional to test your ventilation system.
Chemical Fume Hood Safety: An Overview
What is a Chemical Fume Hood?
A chemical fume hood is a mechanical ventilation device designed to limit exposure to hazardous or toxic airborne substances. It works by drawing air into the hood from the laboratory and exhausting it outside the building, thereby preventing harmful vapors from contaminating the lab environment.
This is essential in laboratories to enable safe handling of materials such as volatile organic compounds, acids, and solvents. But to understand exactly why fume hoods are so important, let’s consider what happens when they are not operated properly.
What Safety Risks Does This Present?
Imagine working in a chemical lab with improperly functioning fume hoods: chemical reactions or processes release hazardous gases, vapors, or fumes, but there is no ventilation system to protect you from them.
This can lead to:
- Exposure to toxic fumes: Toxic vapors, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or carcinogenic substances, can accumulate undetected in the air. In the short-term, this may lead to symptoms like dizziness, headaches, and nausea. But over time, chronic exposure to even trace amounts of these chemicals increases the risk of serious conditions, including organ damage and cancer.
- Explosion risk: Laboratories handling flammable or reactive chemicals rely on fume hoods to mitigate the danger of accidental ignition. If flammable vapors are allowed to accumulate, it creates a combustible atmosphere that is vulnerable to sparks or heat sources. Additionally, mixing incompatible substances in a poorly ventilated environment can lead to violent chemical reactions.
But the risk to human health is not the only threat poorly functioning fume hoods present; they are also a compliance risk.
What Regulations Are Relevant to Operators?
Several regulations and standards govern the safe operation of chemical fume hoods, ensuring that they operate effectively to protect lab personnel. Key regulations include:
- OSHA Standards: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provides guidance for laboratory safety, including the proper use of fume hoods to protect workers from harmful chemical exposure.
- ANSI/ASHRAE 110: This is the American National Standard for testing fume hood performance, setting requirements for several procedures – including tests to visualize the flow of fumes, detect low concentrations of tracer gas, and determine the gas that can escape from the hood sash.
This raises the question: how do you ensure your laboratory is compliant?
Chemical Fume Hood Testing
Chemical fume hoods are complex pieces of equipment that can be easily damaged, miscalibrated, or poorly designed. That’s why routine testing and maintenance are essential to identify problems and fix them – before they put human lives in danger.
What Does Chemical Fume Hood Testing Involve?
Chemical fume hood testing typically involves the three key procedures:
- Airflow visualization tests: These are intended to provide a visual indication of the fume hood’s capture performance when a small-scale challenge is introduced.
- Airflow velocity tests: These are designed to assess the rate at which particles generated within the cleanroom leave the critical operational area – and validate that the average airflow face velocity meets the manufacturer’s’ specifications.
- Tracer gas containment tests: These assess whether an operator would suffer any exposure if a gas were released.
In concert, these tests assess each vital aspect of the fume hood to ensure it is properly set up, operates optimally, and meets official safety standards.
How to Find a Skilled Fume Hood Testing Professional
Finding a skilled fume hood testing professional is crucial to ensure that the tests are conducted accurately and meet industry standards. When looking for a qualified testing professional, consider:
- Experience: Choose a company or individual with experience in performing fume hood tests in your specific industry or laboratory setting.
- References: Ask for references from other laboratory managers or institutions to verify the professional’s expertise.
- Reputation: Research online reviews and testimonials to assess the reputation of the testing professional or company.
But to save time and effort, you can always simply assess their fume hood testing certification. If it is from an esteemed organization like NEBB – the international gold-standard for over 30 years – you can be confident the professional has extensive technical knowledge, skills, and instrumentation within the discipline.
Their certification process will have involved extensive training, practical exercises, and an exacting exam. They will also be required to undertaken regular further education to stay on top of changing trends and innovations to fume hood systems.
Want to find NEBB certified fume hood testing professionals?