Basic Documentation
Table Of Contents
- About this Application Guide
- Chapter 1–Introduction
- Chapter 2–Goals of the Laboratory Environment
- Chapter 3–Unique Ventilation Needs of a Laboratory Facility
- Chapter 4–Ventilation Systems Classification
- Chapter 5–Laboratory Facility Exhaust Systems
- Chapter 6–Laboratory Containment Units - Ventilation
- Chapter 7–Room Ventilation, Makeup Air, and Pressurization Control Systems
- Chapter 8–Laboratory Temperature and Humidity Control Systems
- Chapter 9–Laboratory Emergencies - Ventilation System Response
- Chapter 10–Laboratory Ventilation System - Validation
- Chapter 11–Laboratory Ventilation System - Commissioning
- Glossary
- Index
Chapter 2–Goals of the Laboratory
Environment
Chapter 2 discusses the goals of the laboratory environment. It includes the following topics:
• Occupant health and safety
• Room ventilation rates
• Ventilation air
• Air changes per hour
• Occupant comfort versus occupant safety
• Room sound level
• Emergency provisions
Occupant Health and Safety
The primary goal of a laboratory ventilation system is to maintain occupant health and safety.
The secondary goal is to meet any room ambient conditions (temperature and humidity)
required for the research activities that are taking place. Finally, the ventilation system must
maintain occupant comfort.
A very important function of the overall laboratory ventilation system is providing reliable
laboratory facility exhaust to address many needs of the facility. In particular, chemical
storage areas must be continually exhausted to prevent the buildup of hazardous and
flammable fumes and vapors. With respect to laboratory room operations, the exhaust
system must continuously remove an adequate amount of air from the laboratory room itself,
known as the room ventilation rate, to ensure a safe working environment. In addition, the
exhaust system must also serve equipment located within laboratory rooms that is intended
to further isolate workers from potential hazards. Typically this includes containment units
known as chemical fume hoods and biological safety cabinets. In addition, laboratory rooms
often need additional exhaust specialty provisions such as canopy hoods and bench type
snorkel exhausts to remove heat, moisture and annoying vapors given off by certain
laboratory equipment.
Aside from maintaining this all-important exhaust function, the laboratory ventilation system
must simultaneously provide sufficient conditioned replacement air for the air that was
removed by the exhaust provisions. In HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning)
terminology the replacement air is referred to as the room supply air or makeup air. The
designer of a laboratory ventilation system must determine the exhaust and supply rates
necessary for each individual laboratory room to ensure that all ventilation system
requirements indicated above are met.
Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. 3