Lab Safety Equipment Guide
Laboratories can be dangerous workplaces, making health and safety within their premises paramount. To operate a successful lab, you must be prepared for accidents to happen at any time. Maintaining laboratory safety with essential safety features and lab safety equipment can protect laboratory personnel and valuable equipment from damage. Here is our lab safety guide to must-have laboratory safety equipment.
Fire Extinguishers and Blankets
A fire extinguisher is a must-have to protect and maintain a safe environment if your lab is working with flammable liquids and other potential sources of fire.
When sourcing fire extinguishers for laboratories, lab personnel and managers must be careful about the type of chemical used. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) groups laboratory materials into categories ranked by hazard level, with D being the least hazardous and A the most dangerous.
The NFPA recommends an ABC extinguisher for the average laboratory. This lab safety equipment comprises dry chemicals and can put out most fires, including electrical ones. Avoid further risk by ensuring all laboratory personnel receive extinguisher training.
Alternative Safety Equipment: Fire Blanket
A fire blanket should also be on every laboratory safety equipment list. This safety equipment is an effective alternative to a fire extinguisher, especially in laboratory settings.
Many of the chemicals in standard fire extinguishers react violently with those used in a lab, making the incident worse. If you are unsure about the reactivity of the fire source, use fire blankets to smother the flames.
Eye Wash Station
An eye wash station consists of a sink in which water is propelled forcefully upward to expel potentially damaging materials and substances from the eye. You can find either free-standing eyewash stations or those that can be incorporated into the sink of your labs.
However, if you choose built-in eye wash stations as part of your lab safety equipment, ensure you never dispose of any harmful materials down the drain. Keep the area in your labs clean to avoid further risk of eye irritation among your lab personnel.
Eye wash stations should have a hands-free operation valve that can open in one second or less. The valve must remain open until manually closed to ensure adequate decontamination.
Use the eye wash station with other lab safety procedures to minimize safety risks. These include wearing adequate protection and appropriate PPE, such as safety goggles or safety glasses, lab coats, and disposable gloves.
Chemical Safety Shower
If the eyewash station becomes insufficient, a chemical safety shower becomes an essential safety feature for your lab–especially when large body areas become contaminated by dangerous substances. Choose a free-standing or space-saving wall-mounted unit when purchasing and installing your showers.
Safety showers in laboratories must be free from obstruction at all times, easily accessible from all points of the lab, and clearly labeled. They must also be able to provide a minimum water flow of 20 gallons per minute for at least 15 minutes to ensure adequate decontamination. The shower must also remain activated without operator intervention.
Ventilation Hood
Fume hoods are recommended laboratory safety equipment for any lab that uses hazardous materials. A standard fume hood consists of a fire-resistant enclosure with a moveable window, also called a sash, at the front to allow staff access to the interior. The hood catches and contains hazardous materials and safely expels them. This lab safety equipment also provides barrier protection to reduce exposure to volatile liquids, dust, and vapors.
A standard hood should draw in lab air at approximately 100 feet per second. Fume hoods should be marked with a calibration sticker and indicate a recommended minimum sash height.
Although the safety equipment is designed to hold containers of hazardous chemicals during experiments, a fume hood is not a permanent storage solution for dangerous chemicals, which can drastically impair its operating efficiency.
Biosafety Cabinets
Biosafety cabinets work similarly to chemical fume hoods and are designed to prevent accidental spills of biohazardous material from contaminating the lab and lab staff.
A biosafety cabinet should be equipped with a high-quality HEPA filter. The filter in these storage safety cabinets eliminates up to 99.9% of airborne bacteria, viruses, and pathogens from the exhaust before expelling them into the surrounding environment.
Biosafety cabinets are categorized into three classes: I, II, and III. Class III biosafety cabinets offer the highest level of protection. A HEPA filter intakes the air and cycles through HEPA filters before expelling it through the exhaust of these safety storage cabinets.
Spill Clean-Up Kit
A spill clean-up kit is a must-have lab safety equipment for every laboratory that uses hazardous chemicals. These kits must be located in safety storage cabinets and should contain appropriate materials for neutralizing various chemical splashes and spills.
A spill clean-up kit must contain universal absorbents for spills, personal protective equipment, and cleaning tools. If your lab uses mercury thermometers, your kit should include a mercury spill kit. After using the kit, it should be immediately restocked.
To maximize lab safety, replace contaminated clothing, such as lab coats, exposed to potential hazards such as flammable materials and certain chemicals.
First Aid Kit
Basic first aid kits are integral to maintaining the health and safety of any workspace and should undoubtedly be part of your laboratory safety equipment.
For lab safety, your first aid kits must include extra items such as burn treatments and dressings, eye patches, and breathing barriers to treat injuries such as minor cuts from broken glass and sharp objects. They should also be stored in safety cabinets for easy access.
Follow proper labeling systems to know the components of your first aid kits and how they are correctly used.
Final Word on Laboratory Safety Equipment
Your lab must be a safe workplace to ensure that staff can perform to the best of their ability. It must also protect vital lab equipment from sustaining damage. However, it is also essential to maintain your laboratory safety equipment to ensure it provides the best lab safety while you perform crucial laboratory works.
The right equipment maintenance management program from Remi can help you keep your most critical equipment functioning correctly and your lab running smoothly. We connect you with the best available technicians so your laboratory can get back on track faster after an accident or equipment breakdown.
Contact Remi today to request a competitive quote or to discuss the right maintenance agreement solutions for your lab safety. Let Remi manage your equipment maintenance so you can focus on laboratory research and safety.