Fume Hood Information
Fume hoods are an important engineering control designed to protect laboratory workers from potential chemical exposures. However, to gain the most protection, fume hoods must be used and maintained properly. As a user of fume hoods, there are a few simple things you can do to get the most out of this important safety device:
- Always work with hazardous chemicals in a fume hood, do not use hazardous chemicals on the bench top.
- Follow the guidelines outlined in the safe fume hood use guide below.
- Always work 6 inches back from the sash of the fume hood to achieve the best capture of chemical vapors and fumes.
- Always work with the fume hood sash as low as possible and always keep your fume hood sash closed when you are not working in it (this offers better protection against splashes and explosions and saves a significant amount of energy and electricity.
- Always report any malfunctioning fume hoods to your Building Coordinator immediately to have the hood repaired. If the hood is not working properly, let other people in the lab know this by hanging up a sign (such as the one below) on the fume hood.
- Safe fume hood use guide
- Safe fume hood use posting
- What to do if your fume hood is too full
- Fume hood services provided by EH&S (annual testing and commissioning)
- Fixing broken hoods (building coordinators and hood users)
- Fume hood selection guide (when obtaining a new or used hood)
- Fume hood commission form
- Fume hood maintenance for shops
- Sign posting for fume hoods under maintenance
- Fume hood and laboratory design criteria from Planning Design and Construction (PD&C).
- Fume hood SOP
For more information about this page
contact : Joanna Lynch
Last Updated : 05.24.05