Be Safe While Using Laboratory Equipment

Accidents in a laboratory are increasing day by day. Not only in schools and other educational institutions, the business organizations have started setting up laboratories. When you work in a laboratory, you require equipment which is designed for carrying out several experiments. In order to get accurate results after conducting an experiment, you have to make sure that the laboratory equipment you use should be in a good condition. With the passage of time, even the best equipment gets worn out or gets out of order.

When you do not change or replace new equipment in your lab, you face mishaps. Therefore, safety precautions are needed when you are dealing with lab equipment. If you do not take safety measures, then you will not only harm your health but also your employees' health. As you take preventive measures for preventing mishaps from happening in a laboratory, you should make sure that the laboratory equipment is in good shape. How will you maintain the condition of laboratory equipment? What precautionary measures you need to follow when you are using laboratory equipment? Run your eyes through the following lines to know how you can keep laboratory equipment in superior condition as well as follow safety precautions at the same time. 

Tips to keep laboratory equipment in good shape 

There are a few tips which can prove to be useful if followed properly. Glance through the tips mentioned below. 

• How often do you get the equipment serviced? If you do not do maintenance of laboratory equipment from time to time, then you will have to face hassles. At the time of maintenance, your technician will do the assessment of the equipment and will also look for signs of problems. The problems in the equipment will be addressed by the technicians instantly. You can avert possible hazards when you do professional repairs and maintenance to the laboratory equipment. 
• To get appropriate measurements or accurate results of a chemical substance, you should make sure that the equipment is calibrated properly. Calibration of laboratory equipment from professionals will help function the equipment in a correct way. There will be no need to do premature replacement when your laboratory equipment is regularly calibrated.
• How frequently do you clean your laboratory equipment? When you use the equipment for a long period of time, then debris and dirt start getting accumulated in the equipment. The accumulated debris can make all laboratory equipment less effective. Hence, it is necessary to make the equipment free from debris and dirt so that it does not show up mechanical issues.
• If you want the laboratory equipment to give a long-lasting service, then you should know how to handle laboratory equipment. Depending on the manner of use, the lifespan of equipment increases. Before you use equipment, make sure to glance through the instructions and method of use. Also, you should ensure that the laboratory equipment is tackled by trained and skilled professionals. All you need is to be cautious while handling the laboratory equipment.
• Invest in the quality equipment which will help you save additional costs on repairs. You will be able to make use of the quality equipment for years together. Also, you will be able to keep yourself safe from possible hazards.

Need Of Upgradation : Everyday, new laboratory equipment is emerging in the market. The lab equipment you use on a daily basis should provide efficiency. If the equipment gets outdated, then you will not get the desired result. Therefore, you should make sure that all equipment which you use in the laboratory should be upgraded. Make use of the advanced laboratory equipment which will help you do the experiment faster and with precision. The best thing about upgraded laboratory equipment is that you do not have to spend cash on maintenance every now and then. You do not have to waste your time in repairing outdated software and recalibrating equipment.

Pivotal Safety Rules : Safety rules to be followed when you are working with laboratory equipment.

• Have adequate information about every equipment you use in a laboratory. 
• Make sure you wear safety gears and safety glasses during check-in and check-out of your laboratory. 
• Before you start your experiments with laboratory equipment, you should always wear a laboratory coat. Cover your face with a face shield. 
• Remove your contact lenses before entering a laboratory. 
• Your footwear should cover your heels and feet properly. Avoid wearing open-toed footwear, sandals and ballet flats in a laboratory. 
• Eating is strictly prohibited in the laboratory, as it may be harmful for your health. 
• Your laboratory equipment should be extremely tidy and clean. Before you start working with equipment, you must clean each equipment.
• Make sure the safety showers, doorways, eyewash stations and aisles are unobstructed. 
•  If spills of a chemical substance fall off the floor or on a table, wipe the spills at once. 
• Tie your hair properly so that your loose hair does not hinder you while you are performing experiments with your laboratory equipment. 
• Before leaving the laboratory, you should wash your hands properly. 
• Do not accumulate trash inside the laboratory. Keep disposing waste from time to time.

Ducted Fume Hood – What You Need To Know

The ducted fume hoods are the most common form of fume hoods which are used in laboratories all over the world. These fume hoods are fixed in a specific position and have a duct system in place, through which the fumes are expelled out. The fumes go out through the ducts and out of the building, thereby keeping the insides of your lab safe from toxicity. These types of fume hoods will require certain additional services like ductwork, fans for exhaust, mechanical systems and so on. As a result of this, it will be a big investment to setup ductless fume hoods in your lab. Thus, it is essential that you make all the necessary considerations before installing ductless fume hoods. In this small article, you will learn more about choosing ductless fume hoods.

Placing your fume hoods at the correct location: Before you purchase your fume hoods, it is important to decide where you will be placing the hoods. Various states and countries have specific regulations regarding the location of fume hoods for labs. When you are deciding upon the position of your fume hood, you must consider the following details also:

Nearby traffic areas - You will have to ensure that there are no large scale vehicular movement immediately besides the fume hoods. There has to be a minimum of 1 meter distance between the sash, that is the barrier between the researcher and his experiment, and an area of traffic. Certain regulations also specify the distance for the traffic area to be a minimum of 5 meters.

Benchtop proximity - In the event that your fume hood is close to a bench top, then you will need to ensure that there exists a minimum distance of 1.5 meters between the sash and your bench top. However, this rule is more commonly applied in the event when the same operator is using both fume hoods and bench tops.

Obstructive devices, walls, other workers - You must take care to ensure that there are no walls, obstructive devices, or other lab operators immediately opposite to the fume hood. You should ensure a minimum of two meters from the sash to the wall. Other lab operators must also not be directly in the line of the exhaust.

Closeness to other forms of obstacles: It is also important that you should see that there are no forms of architectural obstacles in the line of your fume hood. These obstacles include:

Walls with other fume hoods - The fume hood must not be closer than at least 300 mm from both the side of the fume hood. And no obstructive walls should extend past the lines of the face of the ductless fume hoods.

Doorways – The doorways cannot be within a distance of 1.5 m from the sash and has to be at least 1 m away from the sides of the fume hood.

Access for maintenance - You will need to ensure that the fume hoods must have enough access for allowing easy maintenance works.

Testing Fume Hoods : In order to be compliant with the government standards for installing fume hoods, it is important that you conduct proper testing to check the functionality and ventilation. The tests include a smoke test, noise level, illuminance and face velocity. Government authorities have specific guidelines with regards to who can conduct these tests. The results of the tests will have to be recorded and lab managers need to go through them and be cognizant of the results.

Maintaining your fume hoods: Aside from commissioning the fume hood, it is also essential that you can subject the fume hoods to timely maintenance and regular testing. During the period of the maintenance work, you will need to ensure that the fume hoods are disconnected from power sources and there are signs displaying that the fume is “under maintenance” so that lab workers do not try to use them by mistake. You should ensure that no chemicals are inside the fume hood during the testing phase. You will need to do at least a test every six months and submit the reports to the lab managers.
Conclusion : Thus, there are several aspects to using fume hoods in your lab. The ducted fume hoods are going to be a big investment for your lab and so you need to make a thorough plan with regards to how you will be using it and where you shall be placing it before you invest your hard earned money into the devices. Always ensure that only competent persons are installing your devices. A thorough planning will ensure that you are aware of all the essential aspects that you need to consider before you decide to buy a ducted fume hood. Hopefully, the information mentioned in this article will have helped you.

Protect Your Employees From Hazardous Contaminants By Installing Ducted Fume Hood

Does your business zone have a laboratory? If yes, then you must be using laboratory furniture and equipment which are essential for doing laboratory tasks. These days, the style of business is changing at a rapid speed. There are many business organizations which have laboratories and the laboratory equipment are used in a multitude of ways. When you have a laboratory in the premises of your business organization, then some safety measures must be taken so that your employees and business do not get affected by the toxic chemicals used inside a laboratory. Various lab furniture are used in a laboratory. One of the vital lab furniture’s which is used is a ducted fume hood. You need to be very careful when you install a fume hood. There have been mishaps in the laboratories earlier due to wrong installation of a ducted fume hood. You should have knowledge while purchasing this laboratory equipment. It is essential to safeguard the health of the laboratory professionals who work with dangerous chemicals. Therefore, installation of a fume hood is imperative in every laboratory. In this article, you will come to know a brief about fume hood and what you should consider before installing a fume hood in your lab. 

A Brief Note About Ducted Hoods 

Ducted hoods have ventilated enclosures which have ducting that further helps the contaminants to release outside the building. Using a ducted hood is considered as the safest option for the lab professionals as well as it is easy to maintain the ducted hood by a worker. In order to release the air outside, there is a blower, a work surface, ducting and a hood. The contaminants are pulled out with the help of the HVAC system. It is the engineer of the HVAC system which decides whether your room has sufficient air to cater the supply of the requisite volume of ventilation to the ducted hood. The professionals of the mechanical systems or the environmental health and safety team does the maintenance service or tackles the issues of ducted hood. 

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Ducted Hoods

Ducted hoods have their own positive and negative sides. Let us know about them in the lines mentioned below. 

Advantages:

• Not only in business organizations, but there are many educational institutions which install ducted fume hoods in laboratories which provide safety to students as well the laboratory equipment is safe for employees and workers. 
• You can operate the ducted hood with ease. Also, you do not have to spend countless bucks in maintenance service. Maintaining a ducted hood is quite convenient and affordable. 
• The ducted hood is capable of handling a plethora of chemicals. 
• There will be no contamination in the laboratory which means your lab professionals can work safely and there will be no health hazards. 

Disadvantages:

Let us look at the negative sides of ducted hoods. 

•  More improvements are needed in ducted fume hoods such as the need of exhaust fans, the mechanical systems need to be upgraded and the roofing elements need to be changed. 
• Ducted hoods consume more energy. 
• It is not easy to relocate or move a ducted hood from one place to another. 
• The installation process of a ducted hood is complex. 

Things To Consider Before Purchasing Ducted Fume Hood

Buying a ducted fume hood can be complicated if you do not have proper knowledge about the equipment. Which are the things you need to reckon before purchasing ducted fume hoods? 

• Take the size of a duct fume hood into consideration. The size of a fume hood may vary. Therefore, you should know the right size of the fume hood which would be appropriate for your lab. Generally, the size of a fume hood could be from 18' tall to 12' tall. 
• Know which type of fume hood you want. There are various types of fume hoods such as duct fume hood, power hood, explosion-proof hood, ductless hood and many other specialty hoods. You should know which chemicals would be the right fit for a fume hood you select. 
• How long will a filter of a ducted fume hood last? It is necessary to know the filter lifespan of a fume hood. Generally, a filter of a fume hood can last up to two years. Before you decide to buy the application, you need to find out the filter lifespan of a particular fume hood. Using the right chemicals, to what capacity chemicals can be used in a filter and the evaporation rate of every filter determine the filter life of a ducted fume hood. 
• Your employees' life could be at stake if you do not make use of the right fume hood while working in a laboratory application. It is advised to have consultation with an experienced and skilled Laboratory Fume Hoods manufacturer before installing the equipment in your laboratory.

Protect The User From Toxic Vapors By Installing Downflow Workstation

Working in a the laboratory is risky. Most of the business establishments have laboratories. The lab professionals work with various hazardous chemicals which can be toxic for health. The vapors of the chemicals linger in the surroundings of a laboratory which can be dangerous for the environment. If you are having a laboratory in your business zone, then you should make sure that the users are safe from harmful vapors. Therefore, you should install downflow workstations in your laboratory which is essential laboratory equipment. 

One of the highly efficient ductless fume hoods is the downflow workstation. This effective laboratory equipment is designed to safeguard the environment and the users from the baleful vapors which generate in the work surface. It has a filtration technology that provides a safe environment and the laboratory experts can work without getting affected by hazardous vapors. In which fields you can use the downflow workstations? The good news is the laboratory equipment is widely used in chemical industries, industrial sectors, veterinary sector, dental industry, histology department, and the pharmaceutical industry. How can the laboratory device be useful for you? Let us derive some more information about the equipment in the next lines. 

Features Of The Product: It has a control panel, airflow alarm, steel support frame, electrostatic pre-filter, work surface, filter door key, internal fluorescent lamp and internal manual speed controller. Other features include front sash and side panels. It is easy to access the front sash. The models can be accessed in polypropylene or metal construction. The models can be available in 60Hz, 110V, 50Hz, and 220V. 

Why Is The Product Safe To Use? 

The carbon filtration technology provides high performance and it is completely safe to use. You can make use of the product in a variety of applications. The product traps chemical vapors to prevent the user and environment from getting affected. The equipment can be used in various ways. It is not necessary to replace the filters. The best thing about the product is that you can install the equipment with ease. Owing to the portable units, you can move the equipment from one place to another within a short period of time. There is no additional cost for installation, filter maintenance, and operations. The laboratory workers and professionals will not be exposed to chemical fumes. The product is energy efficient; hence, the downflow workstation equipment is on high demand. 

Product Benefits: Many business organizations and educational institutions install downflow workstations due to a plethora of benefits. The prominent benefits of the laboratory equipment are listed below. 

• The units are wider in size. The units comprise of two or more workstations which can be placed adjacent to the junction connections. 
• You will come to know that there is a low airflow through the airflow alarm which alerts of inadequate face velocity.
• The top-rated lab equipment can be accessed in three different sizes such as in 
• polypropylene construction, metal and totaling six models. 
• The air handling system is the potential to deliver high capacity face velocity at the work surface. 

Do you want to change the filter assembly? The laboratory equipment allows you to replace or change filter assembly easily. 

• Are you worried about the leakage? Not to worry. The the innovative design of filter clamping does not let leakage take place outside the cabinet. 
• The product is suitable for the operators who are handling toxic substances which require unlimited access to their work zone. 
• Do you want to use the equipment right now? You just have to plug in the equipment so that you can use the equipment immediately. 
• You get clean air by using the product, as the useful units help release harmful fumes and do the re-circulation of clean air inside the laboratory. 
• You can remove the stainless steel tray and clean it easily. 
• You do not have to spend extra cash on installing costly ducting.

Why Is The Equipment On Great Demand? 

There are many laboratory equipment manufacturing companies that manufacture the best designed and high-quality downflow workstations. The product is designed, keeping the work environment of the laboratory in mind. The state-of-the-art technology has opened access to several industries and institutions to use the product. The equipment has become the necessity of every laboratory. If you wish to set up a modern laboratory, then the unique designs of the equipment will be the best fit for your laboratory. From pharmaceuticals, food industries to chemical laboratories and educational science labs, downflow workstations can prove to be beneficial for users and operators. The professional manufacturers of the lab equipment make use of the finest materials and also take care of safety. You do not have to make a hole in your pocket for purchasing the product. Get the laboratory equipment from a professional dealer at affordable rates.