IMHO an ironclad rule like that is counterproductive.  Most research laboratories have limited hood space, and forcing someone to put a vacuum line into a hood might force something else out that really should be in there.  In addition, vacuum and Schlenk lines come in varying lengths, and you might be forcing a researcher to buy a shorter and less capable line in the interest of enforcing such a rule.  Work in hoods can also be cramped, and contorting oneself or equipment to fit could possibly contribute to accidents.

Instead, let common sense work here.  Lines should be in a hood when practical, yes.  But if they can't be, then you need to set up some best practices for when they are located outside a hood.  This includes any number of guidelines such as 1) venting all bubblers, vacuum pumps and traps to a hood, 2) putting up a sliding safety shield to protect the worker from implosions and explosions, 3) establishing a list of procedures/materials/properties that should not be manipulated outside a hood, 4) banning the use of mercury manometers etc. etc..  Except for a the first two items, this is really the same considerations we apply to whether any reaction should be run a hood or not.

Anyone with a John Bercaw-style (Caltech) line that measures 8 feet long by 4 feet wide (or more!) sitting in the middle of their lab space probably has an ample set of safety Schlenk/high vac line guidelines that would be worth sharing.

Rob Toreki