scope:

Scope and Application

This standard applies to the ventilation in most laboratories and is written for all laboratory ventilation stakeholders. An emphasis is placed on those with legal responsibilities and liability for providing a safe laboratory. However, users/operators, industrial hygienists, other safety and environmental professionals will also find the standard written for their needs.

The standard cannot establish strict liability in all cases but does attempt to fix accountability in many relationships that exist with its context. Please note that such relationships are defined throughout the standard and generally encompass the following: administration - occupant, employer - employee, management - staff, owner - occupant, owner - tenant, teacher - student, designer - owner, etc.

This standard does not apply to the following types of laboratories, hoods or systems except as it may relate to general laboratory ventilation:

• animal facilities,

• biosafety cabinets,

• explosives laboratories,

• high containment facilities (e.g., BSL 3, BSL 4, facilities operating under "chemical surety plans," etc.),

• laminar flow hoods and isolators (e.g., a clean bench for product protection, not employee protection),

• radioisotope laboratories, and

• fire, smoke or emergency response systems.

General laboratory safety practices are not included except where they may relate to the ventilation system's proper function or effectiveness.

This standard does not apply to comfort considerations unless they have an effect on contaminant control ventilation.

NOTE: Laboratories conduct teaching, research, quality control, and related activities and should satisfy several general objectives, in addition to being suited for the intended use they should:

• be energy efficient without sacrificing safety, compliance, or space condition requirements,

• be safe places to work,

• comply with environmental, health, and safety regulations, and

• meet any necessary criteria for the occupants and technology involved in terms of control of temperature, humidity, and air quality.

Appendix 2 offers several references providing information, guidelines or specific requirements for:

• laboratory animals - AAALAC,

• biosafety cabinets - NSF,

• biohazardous materials - ABSA, and CDC,

• flammables, pyrophoric and explosives - NFPA, ISEE, and IMC,

• high containment facilities - CDC, ISPE, and USAMRICD,

• laminar flow hoods and isolators - NSF and CETA,

• radioactive materials - NRC, and

• special environmental requirements for product protection such as contamination control from particulates - CETA and IEST.

Purpose

The primary purpose of this standard is to establish minimum requirements and best practices for laboratory ventilation systems to protect personnel from physical harm and overexposure to harmful or potentially harmful airborne contaminants generated within the laboratory. The standard's requirements also aim to protect property where relevant.

In light of significant efforts and initiative to reduce greenhouse gases, the standard also confronts energy considerations, especially where there is a potential to impact worker health and safety.

This standard:

• informs the designer of the requirements and conflicts among various criteria relative to laboratory ventilation,

• informs the user of information needed by designers, and

• sets forth ventilation requirements that will, combined with appropriate work practices, achieve acceptable concentrations of air contaminants.

Thus, this standard provides insight on how inadequate ventilation or other ventilation system deficiencies can impact safety and containment. However, this standard cannot provide designers and users with everything needed for conducting hazard assessments. Designers and users are thereby cautioned to not misconstrue the purpose of this standard as addressing comprehensive hazard control for particular hazards posed by all operations that may occur in a laboratory room. See Section 3.4.

NOTE: Persons responsible for laboratory operations and those working within laboratories may not be aware of how ventilation can impact environment, health and safety. On the other hand, ventilation system design professionals cannot be expected to be fully aware of all the particular hazards posed by every type of operation that may occur in a laboratory.