Effectively Integrating Environmental Health and Safety and Laboratory HVAC Energy Conservation
Pamela Greenley, CIH, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
During this presentation, the speaker will present a case study on a design process approach that was used on a recently completed life sciences laboratory building at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). MIT's Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) and Facilities (campus planning, engineering and construction) departments met very early during schematic design to discuss and agree on the energy conservation measures that would be used in the building. This early collaboration guided the consulting architects and engineers as they worked through detailed design. The list of issues under discussion included:
- Air change rates for laboratories that were not fume hood or heat driven.
- Hood face velocity and operating sash height.
- VAV approach for hoods and hood exhaust minimum.
- Heat recovery approach.
- Biosafety cabinet venting to outside.
- Two-speed exhaust fan.
By setting these early ground rules, surprises to EH&S during detailed design were minimized. One surprise for EH&S during start-up involved hood users questioning the containment of quieter hoods. The speaker will describe the resulting additional evaluation and communication with hood users.
As EH&S is also involved in many small renovations at MIT on a continuing basis, the speaker will also explore some approaches that have been used for effective integration of health and safety and energy conservation on these types of projects.
Biography:
Pam Greenley is currently the associate director of the EH&S Office at MIT. Ms. Greenley has been involved in designing laboratories at MIT for more than 20 years, with one specialty industrial hygiene areas in laboratory HVAC. Ms. Greenley teaches a class on balancing health and safety and laboratory energy conservation issues for Eagleson Institute.