A laboratory is not considered to be functioning properly unless it is made safe for people working in that environment. The risk of exposure to various chemical hazards in a laboratory or a factory is relatively higher than in any other type of professional workplace. For this reason, different types of essential safety elements and equipment are installed to ensure the well-being of the people working. A laboratory fume hood is a reliable solution that helps to keep your facility as well as your tech team healthy, safe, and highly productive at all times.

Role of a Fume Hood

If a workplace deals with chemical hazards or radioactive materials then you should probably have lab fume hoods installed before going any further. Following are some basic functions of lab fume hoods that protect working professionals in a laboratory:

• The presence of fume hoods allows lowering the exposure limit permissible for workers in a lab or a factory.
• With perfectly installed fume hoods, the growing concern regarding any type of workplace accident is negligible.
• It works no differently than a critical exhaust system that collects dust, vapor, and fumes which harms people breathing it. It promptly removes it from the lab’s atmosphere.
• Fume hoods are not only used to filter out chemical hazards but also emit vapors and get rid of unpleasant stench allowing thousands of your workers to be in an environment with clean and fresh air.

Types of lab fume hoods

Based on the efficiency and useful features, many professional manufacturers and distributors offer a wide selection of lab fume hoods. But there are mainly three types of chemical fume hoods available for use which are;

• Walk-in Fume Hoods

This type of professionally manufactured fume hood is like cabinets in size which makes it perfect for extensive projects. If a bench hood is incapable of filtering out the harmful vapors and other gaseous substances then walk-in fume hoods could manage the situation properly. As the name suggests, this type of large fume hood allows workers to sit/stand within them.

• Thin-walled Fume Hoods

The walls of fume hoods are made of various high-grade materials such as stainless steel or even tin. But a thin-walled fume hood is considered a more affordable option for facilities that do not house hazardous materials. This type of fume hood functions similarly to its other alternatives but it is meant to be used in non-hazardous environments only.

• Air Flow Hoods

Fume hoods are designed and manufactured to serve different sets of purposes. An airflow hood is one such type of fume hood that offers varying air velocities as needed by a particular workplace. Handling the airflow is the basic function of any laboratory fume hood but this type can be customized and adjusted by people more freely.

Things to keep in mind before installing fume hoods

Installing fume hoods could be the wisest decision to protect the lives of hundreds of people spending time in a laboratory that is prone to catastrophic disaster if left to itself. But before making that decision, one should consider the following:

1. Installation by professionals only:

A lab fume hood is essential safety equipment that should only be handled by professionals who make sure that its functionality and structure are not hampered after installation. Fume hoods would not work properly if installed incorrectly. Spending a considerable amount of money on purchasing quality equipment is almost useless if people do not ask for expert’s help when installing it.

2. Choosing a type as per requirement:

As mentioned earlier, there are various types of fume hoods available for purchase from a manufacturing company. All that you need to do before purchasing lab fume hoods, is figure out their compatibility with a certain workplace. For example, a fume hood that is perfect for use in a forensic lab is not what you can install in an assembly factory.

3. Knowing its limitations beforehand:

Fume hoods are useful pieces of lab safety equipment but that does not mean they can magically solve all problems that arise within a functional laboratory. If operated correctly, fume hoods act as a safety exhaust system that removes gaseous pollutants originating inside a full-fledged lab. But it is important to know that fume hoods minimize the effects of hazardous airborne particles but do not eliminate them.

To avoid putting a laboratory and its workers in harm’s way, lab fume hoods are ideal equipment that suits most industrial needs.