The Dos and Don'ts of Fume Hood Safety

Chances are excellent that if you ask laboratory workers to describe the ventilation system for their laboratories, they will not include themselves as part of the system. Yet they are as much a part of the successful operation of the system as the fume hood itself.

All the engineering in the world is not going to do any good if the systems designed and installed are not properly used. Yet how many lab workers have ever received on-the-job training in the proper use of a fume hood and its associated systems? How many professors have ever instructed a student in the use of these systems? How many professors even know what to teach? For example, in what circumstances should workers be advised to use a method of protection other than a fume hood? What kind of personal and environmental protection can lab workers expect from the conventional fume hood and...