DCHAS-L Discussion List Archive
Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2006 11:09:38 -0400
Reply-To: List Moderator <esf**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: List Moderator <esf**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Subject: Re: Fume hood sashes
From: info**At_Symbol_Here**ilpi.com
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Fume hood sashes
Date: July 11, 2006 5:56:36 PM EDT
A good start is to put some chains on the wall nearest the fume hood
so folks have a place to chain up their cylinders. Some signs that
say "Cylinders Must Be Chained At All Times" and "Cylinders Not
Connected Must Be Capped" would be an added bonus.
Some folks are not capable of running (or have never considered how
to run) gas in from a location more than 2 feet away from their
apparatus. Or they are lazy. It's easy to set up a localized
nitrogen manifold in the laboratory, for example, but it requires a
modicum of acquired skill in selecting the appropriate fittings,
tubing, and valves. Or they might use a cylinder infrequently and
running a "large" length of tubing seems inconvenient. In addition,
I suspect some folks fear the gases they work with (carbon monoxide,
hydrogen) and therefore have an innate desire to have the whole
shebang as close to the hood as possible in the event of a leak.
Folks make the fume hood airfoil modification for other reasons as
well. For example, in my former labs we had vacuum lines in the
hoods and the pumps were underneath them. We had to run the heavy
wall tubing or copper pipe connecting these components under the hood
sash. If I didn't have a Dremel tool to cut a hole through the air
foil we would have either had to run it over the top of air foil
(meaning the sash would not close the last 1.25 inches) or remove the
air foil....or possibly modify the sash with a spacer that allowed
the tubing to fit.
So I wouldn't necessarily call it ignorance (although it comes down
to that too often, alas). It's just that some folks are not handy
(or are not willing to be handy) with tools or design, and some
schools are not good about supplying support personnel who can make
simple improvements/adjustments such as these (one of those false
economies).
If you had the time and money, a campaign to assist folks in making
the necessary modifications for their unique situations might be
worth the effort. Wouldn't eliminate this problem, but it could
reduce it.
Some heavy duty custom aluminized tags reading "This Air Foil Not To
Be Removed or Modified...." might be a good part of such a program as
well.
Rob
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