Low Energy Consumption and Safe Working Conditions in the Laboratory by Operating Fume Hoods According to the European Standard EN 14175

Juergen Liebsch, DIN Technical Committee "Laboratory Equipment and Furniture"

Fume hoods are important protective devices required for work in laboratories, which is associated with gases, steams, aerosols, or dust in hazardous concentrations. The protective aim of fume hoods is the same throughout the world, but the conditions under which the fume hoods are operated considerably diverge in various countries. With the launch and adoption of the new European Standard EN-14175 in 2003, a standard was created that harmonized the different requirements of individual European countries.

This presentation shows how the European fume hood standard unites formerly different safety criteria and philosophies by the definition of essential design characteristics and the determination of a practice-related test procedure. Furthermore, practical examples prove that it is possible to refute the earlier, generally assumed practice of "more air for more safety" by means of an innovative implementation of the standard guidelines: high-performance fume hoods can be operated with less air, and thus make an essential contribution to saving energy when operating laboratories.

Juergen Liebsch is the chief executive officer of Waldner Laboreinrichtungen GmbH & Co. KG, and is responsible for all the company's research and design activities.

He has more than 10 patents related to fume hoods issued in his name. He is member of the advisory board of the "DIN Standards Committee for Laboratory Devices and Furniture," and also a member of the DIN Working Group "Fume hoods and air technology" as well as of the CEN Technical Committee 332—the European Standardization of Laboratory Equipment.

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