Basic Documentation

Laboratory Ventilation Codes and Standards
Siemens Industry, Inc. 114
Topic Requirement(s) Commentary
Emergency
Control
Provisions
U.S. OSHA, 29 CFR, Part 1910, Occupational Safety and Health Standards,
Subpart Z, Toxic and Hazardous Substances,1910.1450,A4,D9&10:
(a) A written emergency plan should be established and communicated to all
personnel; it should include procedures for ventilation failure, evacuation, medical
care, reporting, and drills.
(b) There should be an alarm system to alert people in all parts of the facility
including isolation areas such as cold rooms.
(c) A spill control policy should be developed and should include consideration of
prevention, containment, cleanup, and reporting.
(d) All accidents or near accidents should be carefully analyzed with the results
distributed to all who might benefit.
(b) Emergency and Personal Protection Training: Every laboratory worker should
know the location and proper use of available protective apparel and equipment.
Some of the full-time personnel of the laboratory should be trained in the proper
use of emergency equipment and procedures.
National Fire Protection Association, Standard NFPA 45, 2011
A.8.2.2. It is not the intent of the standard to require emergency or standby power
for laboratory ventilation systems.
American National Standard for Laboratory Ventilation ANSI/AIHA Z9.5-2003
5.1.4 When the type and quantity of chemicals or compressed gasses that are
present in a laboratory room could pose a significant toxic or fire hazard, the room
shall be equipped with provision(s) to initiate emergency notification and initiate the
operation of the ventilation system in a mode consistent with accepted safety
practices. Emergency situations (See NFPA 92A-2000) that shall be anticipated
and the appropriate ventilation system responses shall include:
• CHEMICAL EMERGENCY (Chemical Spill, Eye-Wash or Emergency Shower
Activation, Flammable Gas Release, etc.)–For rooms served by VAV ventilation
systems, the Chemical Emergency mode of operation should maximize the
room ventilation (air change per hour) rate and, if appropriate, increase
negative room pressurization. For rooms served by CAV ventilation systems
that utilize a reduced ventilation level for energy savings, the Chemical
Emergency mode of operation should ensure that the room ventilation and
negative pressurization are at the maximum rate.
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Most laboratories are susceptible to fire, a toxic
chemical spill, and some sort of personal injury.
Therefore it is prudent to have a means in place
that facilitates notifying appropriate personnel in
an emergency situation. A means to enable
prompt notification of an emergency situation
would be to provide individual FIRE, CHEMICAL
and perhaps MEDICAL EMERGENCY pull
stations at the laboratory door. Operation of the
pull station would automatically initiate the
appropriate alert. Such pull stations can be
arranged to also signal the ventilation control
system to automatically activate the proper
ventilation system response.
The AIHA’s position is that the appropriate
ventilation system response to a chemical
emergency maximizes the room ventilation rate
in order to increase dilution and removal of
chemical fumes. In addition, migration of such
fumes and vapors to other building areas is
prevented or retarded by increasing the room’s
negative pressure.
The appropriate ventilation system response (per
NFPA 92A) to a fire requires stopping all room
supply airflow while maximizing the room
exhaust. This maximizes the room negative
pressure and prevents or retards the spread of
smoke and toxic fire gases to adjoining areas.
Some local building codes require the same
response. In some lab buildings this is
impractical. If the lab room envelope is
especialialy tight, this vent strategy can exert
excessive force on the doors, possibly impeding
egress. Somelab managers have found the need
to arrange exceptions to the codes.