Your lab’s indoor environmental quality or IEQ score shows how safe and user-friendly your workspace is. One way you can tell if your IEQ is fairly low is if your lab workers have complaints about the space. Everything from safety issues to noise can lower your IEQ, which is why you need to carefully consider your lab layout, furniture, equipment, and overall quality control. With all of the chemicals and potentially hazardous activities taking place in the lab on a regular basis, it’s vital that you keep your air quality, safety, and even employee comfort in mind. By fully exploring any IEQ problems your lab has, you can improve your overall quality and make your employees much happier.
The Ventilation System
Ventilation is incredibly important to your lab, especially when using chemicals. Laboratory fume hoods must be in place to pull away any dangerous fumes up and out of the lab. Even if you’re not using any potentially dangerous chemicals, you still need to cycle the air through the area regularly. Make certain fume hoods are installed and used correctly. Also consider the pressure in the lab verses the pressure in surrounding areas. If the lab is slightly less pressurized than the areas around it, chemical smells and fumes will not spread into the halls, offices, or other areas near the lab. This can be done by making certain that the amount of air leaving the lab is slightly greater than the amount being pumped into the space. Your HVAC specialists can create this pressure and should do so for every lab space.
The HVAC System as a Whole
Overall, your HVAC system plays a large part in your lab’s environmental quality. These systems have become more and more complex over the years, and today, they include many different sensors and other monitors. The location of your thermostat can play a large part in the IEQ of each lab. Because thermostats are typically installed before your lab furniture and storage solutions are, you need to take it into account when arranging your lab. If you know a lab workstation is going to be used to heat chemicals, that workstation should not be placed near the thermostat. Otherwise, the heat may interfere with the thermostat’s sensors, causing it to run unnecessarily.
You also want to make sure your employees understand how the thermostat works. Employees should be able to adjust the temperature in each lab as needed, but the controls need to be easily understood. Any lab rules such as a minimum or maximum temperature also need to be clearly posted near the thermostat.
Filters
Just as you would do with your own home HVAC filters, the filters in each lab need to be changed regularly. These filters catch dirt, pollen, and other debris, but the more this debris collects, the harder it is for clean air to be pushed through the filter. The maintenance team for the lab needs to make certain these filters are regularly cleaned. All air returns and other filter locations also need to be left uncovered and unblocked by lab wall cabinets and other furniture.
Ready to improve your lab’s IEQ score? We can help you with finding lab furniture, including fume hoods. Contact us today for more information.
The Ventilation System
Ventilation is incredibly important to your lab, especially when using chemicals. Laboratory fume hoods must be in place to pull away any dangerous fumes up and out of the lab. Even if you’re not using any potentially dangerous chemicals, you still need to cycle the air through the area regularly. Make certain fume hoods are installed and used correctly. Also consider the pressure in the lab verses the pressure in surrounding areas. If the lab is slightly less pressurized than the areas around it, chemical smells and fumes will not spread into the halls, offices, or other areas near the lab. This can be done by making certain that the amount of air leaving the lab is slightly greater than the amount being pumped into the space. Your HVAC specialists can create this pressure and should do so for every lab space.
The HVAC System as a Whole
Overall, your HVAC system plays a large part in your lab’s environmental quality. These systems have become more and more complex over the years, and today, they include many different sensors and other monitors. The location of your thermostat can play a large part in the IEQ of each lab. Because thermostats are typically installed before your lab furniture and storage solutions are, you need to take it into account when arranging your lab. If you know a lab workstation is going to be used to heat chemicals, that workstation should not be placed near the thermostat. Otherwise, the heat may interfere with the thermostat’s sensors, causing it to run unnecessarily.
You also want to make sure your employees understand how the thermostat works. Employees should be able to adjust the temperature in each lab as needed, but the controls need to be easily understood. Any lab rules such as a minimum or maximum temperature also need to be clearly posted near the thermostat.
Filters
Just as you would do with your own home HVAC filters, the filters in each lab need to be changed regularly. These filters catch dirt, pollen, and other debris, but the more this debris collects, the harder it is for clean air to be pushed through the filter. The maintenance team for the lab needs to make certain these filters are regularly cleaned. All air returns and other filter locations also need to be left uncovered and unblocked by lab wall cabinets and other furniture.
Ready to improve your lab’s IEQ score? We can help you with finding lab furniture, including fume hoods. Contact us today for more information.
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