Basic Documentation

Table Of Contents
Chapter 6–Laboratory Containment Units - Ventilation
54 Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.
Fume Hood Monitoring
Safety standards (that is, ANSI/AIHA Z9.5, NFPA 45, etc.) and regulatory agencies
(U.S. OSHA) require all fume hoods to have a monitoring device to inform the fume
hood user as to whether the fume hood is providing safe and proper containment.
Manufacturers of fume hood control products offer fume hood monitoring devices for
this purpose along with various features.
The control arrangement of Figure 9 also provides an operator display panel that
shows the status and performance of the fume hood. Aside from basic indication of
safe or unsafe operation, the sophisticated capability of today’s microprocessor
based fume hood controllers enable such display panels to provide more than the
minimum required information. This may include a digital display of average face
velocity, colored indicator lights to call attention to marginal and unsafe fume hood
conditions and an audible warning so all laboratory room occupants are alerted of an
unsafe fume hood condition. Additional display panel features can include an
emergency purge provision to increase fume hood airflow in case of a chemical spill,
fire or violent reaction.