September 30, 1995
stored in a separate area of the facility not
Fume hood noise is a common complaint
associated with hazardous waste.
among laboratory users.
(See "Mechanical
Considerations" in narrative discussion.)
Any provisions for the addition of future
Fume Hoods:
fume hoods must be provided in the initial
planning stages, including supply and exhaust
The main purpose of a fume hood is to
air, plumbing, and electrical. However, caution
contain and dispose of the effluent generated by
should be exercised to ensure that any extra
work performed inside the hood. It is a safety
initial cost for future provisions is not wasted.
device to protect the users from hazardous
Interstitial floors above Research Laboratories
chemicals as outlined in ANSI Z 9.5. Fume
would better provide for additions and relocation
hoods should not be located closer than 3000
of fume hoods.
The VA Building System
mm (10'-0") to the primary exit door for two
(interstitial space) lends itself to future design of
reasons: the traffic past the hood may cause a
the mechanical and electrical systems with less
backdraft into the laboratory, and fume hoods
disruption to occupied space.
may be the location of an explosion or fire
thereby blocking the path of exit. Strict attention
must be paid to fume hood safety; including
Bibliography
color-coding utilities, installing automatic dry fire
extinguishing systems, prohibiting the presence
Weeks, John.
"Laboratories for Medical
of spark producing devices (outlets) inside the
Research." World Hospitals, Vol. XVII, No. 2,
hood, and proper signage for use and warnings.
May 1981.
Biological and chemical stand-alone hoods
Braybrooke, Susan, ed. Design for Research.
(ductless) with HEPA filters are more flexible
New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1986.
than fixed hoods which must be connected to
Ruys, Theodorus.
Handbook of Facilities
dedicated exhaust ducts. They allow for flexibility
Planning, Volume 1. New York:
Van
as to location, and lower first cost due to the
Nostrand Reinhold, 1990.
elimination of ductwork and exhaust fans.
However, their use is limited because they are
Lees, R., and A. F. Smith, ed.
Design,
not compatible with certain chemicals used in
Construction,
and
Refurbishment
of
laboratories. The air purification system in the
Laboratories. Chichester, England:
Ellis
fume hood must be evaluated for each chemical
Horwood Limited, 1984.
used.
Diberardinis, Louis J., et al.
Guidelines for
A fume hood exhaust system may serve up
Laboratory Design:
Health and Safety
to four chemical hoods. This combined system
Considerations, 2nd ed. New York: John
may be used because vapors drawn through the
Wiley & Sons, 1993.
hood are diluted to such low levels that chemical
Arcidi, Philip.
"Inquiry:
Laboratories."
reactions yielding significant energy levels are
Progressive Architecture, August 1990.
highly unlikely. Consider aligning hoods back-to-
back to save on ductwork. Separate dedicated
Sennewald, Bea.
"Flexibility
by
Design."
exhaust systems are required for biosafety lab
Architecture, April 1987.
cabinets, radioisotope hoods, and perchloric-acid
Cattan, Simon V., P.E., Salvatore X. Debono,
hoods. The combination vertical and horizontal
P.E., and William W. White, P.E. "Modular
sash in 1800 mm (6'-0") fume hoods should be
Design
for
High-Tech
Laboratories."
considered, as they better control the amount of
Consulting-Specifying Engineer, September
air through the hood. Fume hoods with larger
1992.
exhaust discharge collar sizes tend to reduce
noise.
von Kanel, Hans K.
"Standardisation and
Rationalisation of Research Buildings and
VA Design Guide -- Research Laboratory
Page 2-11
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