As personnel change for the summer and into the fall semester, we want to remind all labs who use a chemical fume hood about basic safety precautions.
- For any labs with large pieces of equipment (centrifuges, incubators, ovens, etc.) in their chemical fume hoods, equipment should be raised off the surface of the fume hood by at least two inches. This helps to improve airflow and prevent dead zones.
- Keep all chemicals at least six inches away from the sash. This improves safety of the user and can help prevent spills.
- Keep the sash closed when the fume hood is not in use. This helps keep lab members safe and helps buildings use less energy and save money.
- If you are running power cords or any kind of wires from inside the fume hood to the outside, please run it under the air foils, if at all possible, or at least under the sash if you have horizontal glass panes.
- If the fume hood monitor is alarming, contact FM@YourService to have your fume hood repaired.
If you have any questions regarding your chemical fume hood, please contact John Silka at (319)-335-8031.