Unless you’re regularly performing dynamic containment testing, you don’t know.
Annual dynamic containment testing and performance certification of fume hoods by qualified personnel is a practice that ensures your lab is compliant with safety regulations. During certification, technicians will perform a series of tests to verify that the hood is operating safely and efficiently.
Because there is a false assumption that if a fume hood has an acceptable face velocity that the hood is safe, many labs assume their equipment is functioning properly without containment testing. But there is no relationship between average face velocity and containment.
In fact, over 70% of the hoods that fail containment testing have acceptable face velocities.
If your safety checks are merely a face velocity reading and maybe some smoke visualization, you aren’t getting anything close to the full picture.
A more effective and complete method of testing is Tri-Color. It makes any loss of containment clearly visible.
To download our Tri-Color Test Protocol click here.
Ensuring the safe operation of a fume hood is a continuous process that involves regular maintenance, compliance with safety standards, and responsible use by laboratory personnel. By keeping the performance and safety of your fume hood in check, you contribute to a safer environment for all who work within the sanctum of the laboratory.
Remember: the integrity of scientific work is not measured only by the results yielded, but also by the safety protocols upheld during its pursuit.
Let us help you make labs safer, one hood at a time.