How the Latest Standards Impact Chemical Laboratories

Gregory F. DeLuga, Siemens Building Technologies

Objectives:

The objectives are to establish the key requirements of laboratory ventilation systems that are necessary to conform with the most recent versions of standards pertaining to laboratory ventilation systems. One of the most often referenced and perhaps the most influential standard, ANSI/AIHA Z9.5, has recently undergone extensive revisions and now provides comprehensive guidance on virtually every aspect of laboratory ventilation. In addition, standard NFPA 45 is currently in the process of being revised and also will also contain appreciable new requirements for laboratory safety. Other standards such as ASHRAE 110 are being updated and the impending changes will have a major impact on how fume hood containment is tested and evaluated. An awareness of the new standards requirements is crucial for laboratory facility safety professionals to evaluate their own facility's safety and for laboratory ventilation system designers to ensure an optimum ventilation system design.

Findings:

This paper will examine the parameters by which fume hood and laboratory room ventilation system performance is gauged and will present the most current requirement for each parameter. This includes fume hood face velocity, fume hood user alarm provisions, allowable room air cross currents, optimum incoming locations for room makeup air, room ventilation air change rates, chemical exhaust system configuration and performance and the preferred means of ensuring attainment of proper room pressurization. These findings will be presented as a series of graphical images, charts and various other depictions that will clearly illustrate each new requirement along with the rationale leading to each new requirements. Where appropriate, changes from previous requirements and the reasons leading to the new requirements will be explained. The findings will address those standard's requirements that can have a major effect on the sizing, capacity, configuration, certification and the commissioning process for both and existing laboratory ventilation system designs.

Labs21 Connection:

This presentation most directly reflects the Labs21 approach to ensure:

• Protection of occupants and enhancing safety by applying the most current safety requirements as a fundamental part of laboratory ventilation systems design.
• Incorporation of a comprehensive and whole building commissioning process to ensure proper system functionality for new construction as well as retrofit projects.
• Promotion of energy and water efficiency efforts by configuring ventilation systems in the most efficient manner and by utilizing ventilation energy only to the extent that quantifiable safety functions can be attained.

Biography:

Greg DeLuga has a degree in mechanical engineering and is a Registered Professional Engineer in Illinois. He has nearly 40 years experience in applying control systems technology for various life safety and critical environmental applications and has authored many publications on this topic. Greg is currently employed by Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. as a Senior Principal Engineer responsible for ensuring that critical environmental control products and standard control applications meet safety standards, codes and good design practice. He is a member of and serves on several standards committees of ASHRAE, AIHA and NFPA. He regularly lectures on designing and controlling ventilation systems for critical environmental applications.