A summary of the responses I received  to yesterday's inquiry...

- Ralph

From: Erik Talley 
Date: September 26, 2006 5:19:42 PM EDT

 > I wonder if any other campuses
 > have gone through this exercise and
 > has a policy we could model our work on?

Ralph, we are having similar issues here and have started a process  
to create guidance for these ductless hoods. Attached is a document  
from LabConco we have found useful.

Erik

(The file Erik attached is available at
http://www.labconco.com/pdf/carbon_enclosures/ChemAssessForm.pdf )

==

From: "Harvey, Doug" 
Date: September 26, 2006 5:19:48 PM EDT

Hi Ralph,

We have the same strategy here at UCSD and to date I think we have  
been very successful. I do not currently have a policy other than  
strongly discouraging the purchase of these units:

http://blink.ucsd.edu/Blink/External/Topics/Policy/0,1162,13398,00.html

The last time a lab contacted me I convinced them that they did not  
want the responsibility of maintenance (ensuring compatible material  
use, filter change outs etc). They agreed.

I would think you would want to build a mechanism where by they have  
to document usage in relation to time and then build that into an  
EH&S inspection process.

Sorry not to be all that much help.

Regards, Doug

==
From: "Passalugo, Bob" 
Date: September 26, 2006 5:25:05 PM EDT

Depending upon how "major" purchases at your institutions occur, it  
is not difficult for researchers to purchase ductless fume hoods.  
Over the years, most institutions will have noticed them popping up  
here and there.

We enacted a construction standard that allows ductless fume hoods in  
new construction location provided the manufacturer of the filters  
can verify the filters will work with the intended chemicals.  So  
far, the only chemicals they can be used with include the chemicals  
used to prepare microscope slides (xylene, alcohols only).

After installation, the date of the filter change must be posed on  
the unit and the filters replaced every 6 months. If the ductless  
unit is used for materials not approved, the lab is cited during our  
lab inspection program and given 30 days to correct the problem.  If  
the problem is considered an imminent hazard, the issue is sent to a  
dean for action.

Bob Passalugo
University of Rochester

==

From: lmstroud**At_Symbol_Here**aol.com
Date: September 26, 2006 6:20:38 PM EDT

Ralph

Contact Mark Leith, AirClean Systems. Can give info on their  
monitoring system 919 271 7290. They manufacture ductless hoods. Auto  
shuts down if a problem.

Linda

==

From: James Bukowski 
Date: September 26, 2006 7:49:42 PM EDT

Ralph,

Our policy is to prohibit them.  Our purchasing department has been  
pretty good about notifying us for approvals on all hoods and BSC  
purchases, so we've had good success with keeping them out of the labs.

James Bukowski, CIH HEM
Environmental Health Officer

==

From: Mary Ellen Abel 
Date: September 27, 2006 7:09:39 AM EDT

We have all of our ducted ventilation sources, i.e., fume hood,  
welding exhaust fan, etc.  certified semi-annually.  None of these  
sources operates to the extent  used in an academic environment.

Mary Ellen Abel
Morton Salt

==
From: John Schaefer 
Date: September 27, 2006 7:20:22 AM EDT

The way I handle these request is to follow the guidelines in ANSI/ 
AIHA Z9.5 -1992 Laboratory Ventilation   Under 5.16 is states the  
criteria and concerns for ductless fume hoods  and refers to section  
4.12.4.2 for the requirements that must be met  this in basically  
requiring two filters absorbers with a space in between for  
monitoring to determine when the chemicals have broken through the  
first filter.  If dustless fume hoods do not meet this requirement  
then section 5.16 states  the dustless fume hood " shall be used only  
for operations that normally would be performed on an open bench  
without presenting an exposure hazard." call me if you need to  
discuss this further

John


John A. Schaefer, MFS, CIH, HEM, CPEA
Associate Director Health, Safety and Environment
Assistant Professor of Medicine/Environmental Health Sciences
Johns Hopkins University "Veritas Vos Liberabit"
2024 E. Monument Street, Suite B200
Baltimore, MD 21205
Office Phone 410 955-5918
Direct phone line 410 502 3025
Fax 410 955-5929
Pager 410 283-2510
Email  jas**At_Symbol_Here**jhmi.edu

==

From: Jim Kaufman 
Date: September 27, 2006 6:46:16 AM EDT

You may want to contact Stephan Hauville at the ERLAB Group.  They  
make the Captair Ductless Fume hood.  He is a strong proponent of the  
rigorous testing of these devices and I believe is on or chairs the  
ANSI  committee in this area (Z-9.x?).   ... Jim

James A.  Kaufman, Ph.D.
President/CEO
jimkaufman**At_Symbol_Here**labsafety.org

The  Laboratory Safety Institute
A Nonprofit International Organization  for
Safety in Science and Science Education

192 Worcester Road,  Natick, MA 01760-2252
508-647-1900 Fax: 508-647-0062
Cell: 508-574-6264  Res: 781-237-1335
info**At_Symbol_Here**labsafety.org  www.labsafety.org

==
From: Bill Galdenzi 
Date: September 27, 2006 8:06:44 AM EDT

We really don't use them.   But I have some past experience with  
them.    In the past, we have used them for nuisance control and not  
for exposure control (i.e. a process that has exposure potential  
exceeding the PEL, OEL, TLV,...etc.).

Bill Galdenzi
Health, Environment and Safety
Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation
(203) 812-3132

==

From: "Dennis Mosser" 
Date: September 27, 2006 8:21:06 AM EDT

Ralph, we have a couple of these in some of our science and forensics  
labs. Fortunately, they are used in labs where we also have ducted  
fume hoods so faculty and students can use them for the chemicals  
that require ducted hoods. We do annual certification of all fume  
hoods and biosafety cabinets, regardless of type. We do so for the  
same concern you mention below. This also gives us the opportunity to  
remind the users that the filters will need to be changed at some  
point and in some cases will need to be disposed of as haz waste. We  
do not have a specific written policy, since the hoods must be tested  
annually to satisfy the OSHA lab standard and FL Dept. of Ed.  
requirements. We issue copies of the fume hood test reports to the  
dept. heads and follow-up on correction of any deficiencies  
identified during testing.

Hope this is helpful.
Dennis
Dennis M. Mosser, Safety/Environmental Manager
St. Petersburg College
14025 58th Street, N.
Clearwater, FL 33760
mosserd**At_Symbol_Here**spcollege.edu
(727) 341-3385

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