DCHAS-L Archives, Apr 29 2013 - Re: [DCHAS-L] Chemistry Fume Hood Experience

When you have repeated alarms the system is not crying wolf, it is telling you that you have a potentially serious ventilation problem in your building and laboratories that deserves urgent attention. By allowing students and, I presume, faculty and staff to over ride the safety system you are condonning inappropriate behavior. If you are the responsible authority you are opening your self up to legal action some time in the future from alleged victims of exposure to xyz. You need assitance now from some professional ventilation engineers to do a comprehensive ventilation analysis of the entire structure and the individual laboratories.

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It has been my experience that many institutions have not given adequate attention to ventilation issues when facilities were built and modified and, especially, when an investigator decides to add a hood. The attitude is frequently --after all it is just one hood. Overtime, the installation of a hood here and one there adds up to 15 additional hoods with no attention given to the need for additional makeup air.

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As I recall there was an interesting example of this a decade or so ago at the Univ of Cincinati Dept of Environmental Health. The Dept Chair at the time did not think it was a serious sick building syndrome problem until he collapsed one day leaving the build. Tuned out thay had all kinds of ventilation issues including an elevator that "pumped" sewer gas from the bottom of an elevator shaft..

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Safety systems are iinstalled for good reasons, do not ignore them.

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Roger O. McClellan

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=0AFrom: Mary Ellen A Scott <mas35**At_Symbol_Here**CASE.EDU>
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Sent: Mon, April 29, 2013 9:01:39 AM
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Chemistry Fume Hood Experience

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The biggest issue we have is supply air or lack there of. At least all are VAV hoods go into alarm so much that the students just put paper in the MUTE button. We seem to have created a cry wolf situation.

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On Mon, Apr 29, 2013 at 10:32 AM, Richard Swanson <thechem**At_Symbol_Here**msn.com> wrote:
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From my experience as a formulator of solvent borne coatings and adhesives, even the best designed and constructed fume hood will not function efficiently if it is not installed properly, including proper design of the infrastructure (e.g., make-up air of the laboratory and facility).
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Richard Swanson
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TheChem
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Greater Chicagoland Area
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From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU] On Behalf Of Jim Johnson
Sent: Sunday, April 28, 2013 5:35 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemistry Fume Hood Experience
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Good Afternoon,
I would like to start a discussion on current experience with chemistry fume hoods related to overall quality, best value, interior construction, coatings/materials of construction, installation issues, air flow alarms, order lead time, energy saving features plus anything else that comes to mind.
Thank you,

James S. Johnson Ph.D., CIH, QEP
JSJ and Associates
Pleasanton, CA 94588

--
Mary Ellen Scott, PhD.
Safety Specialist II
Case Western Reserve University
EHS - Environmental Health and Safety
Service Building 1st Floor Rm 113
2220 Circle Dr.
Cleveland, OH 44106-7227
216-368-6077
216-368-2236 (Fax)
maryellen.scott**At_Symbol_Here**case.edu
"There is no science without fancy and no art without fact" - Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977)

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