Technical protective equipment

There are various types of protective ventilation. Common types include fume hoods, fume benches and spot extractors. The different types work in different ways, and their function should be taken into account when choosing protective equipment according to the laboratory method used, to ensure that pollutants are vented away effectively. Alarms may be needed to indicate inadequate protective ventilation in premises where harmful levels of contamination could occur.

All volatile chemicals must be handled in a way that minimises emissions to air.

Using a fume hood is the most common way to protect against air pollution in laboratories. Work calmly without causing excessive air turbulence. When air turbulence is created around objects in the fume hood, pollutants can be drawn into the circulating air and transported out of the fume hood. For this reason, the fume hood should not be crowded with unnecessary apparatus or chemicals. Do not open the fume hood above the specified safety height (normally 30 cm). The door must be kept in the lowered position when the fume hood is not in use, to minimise energy use.