- Observe a real-life example of the success of ductless fume hoods in an academic lab setting
- Determine the advantages of adding fume hoods over a complete HVAC system overhaul
- Learn the questions you should ask fume hood experts when facing a similar situation in your own lab
- Understand how to recognize the dangers posed by exhaust air, and how to properly control such hazards
- Determine the points that need to be discussed with your lab design team and contractors
- Develop a financial plan that reflects the cost savings resulting from a filtered ductless fume hood system
- Establish which standards are current and applicable to your particular lab
- Learn about the hidden hazards in your lab, and how to eliminate the risks posed to your staff, equipment, and product
- Develop a risk management policy for your lab that includes the most up-to-date information
- Distinguish between the myths and truths about the safety of ductless fume hood systems
- Learn valuable strategies that will encourage lab staff to embrace new technology
- Benefit from an introductory course to ductless fume hood systems, which will offer in-depth explanations and provide answers to your questions
AIR QUALITY & LAB SAFETY DIGITAL SUMMIT SCHEDULE
Balancing Safety, Savings, and Sustainability
Thursday, April 21, 2022
Overcoming HVAC Challenges: A Butler University Success Story
With Butler University’s growing demand for laboratory usage, their existing HVAC system was inadequate to handle the air changes needed to mitigate odorous and harmful emissions. While dealing with tremendous air quality issues, they had to make a choice—either upgrade their existing HVAC system, or look into alternative solutions. After a detailed analysis of what they would need to do to upgrade their HVAC, they decided it wasn’t financially feasible. The decision was made to add filtered fume hoods to reduce the HVAC load, improve safety, and increase their hood density—all without having to upgrade their HVAC system.
This peer-reviewed interview and Q&A session with Stacy O’Reilly, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Butler University, will detail her experience with Erlab’s filtered solutions. Learn about the challenges her lab faced with its existing HVAC system, the questions she asked when determining if an upgraded system was the best choice, and the factors involved in her “leap of faith” decision to add filtered fume hoods to optimize her lab. This discussion will give you the tools you need in order to determine what the right system is for your own lab, and how to make the best possible choice while staying within your budget.
Learning objectives:
Presenter: Stacy O'Reilly
Butler University
11:00 am-12:00 pm EDT
The Benefits and Long-Term Value of Filtration Systems
Designing, constructing, or renovating a modern wet chemistry laboratory presents numerous challenges. One of the biggest challenges is designing for the chemical fume hoods’ hazardous exhaust air and the required make-up air. What if the majority of that hazardous exhaust were eliminated, with no negative impact on the teaching or research performed within the lab? What if these contaminants could be captured and retained at their source, rather than being released as environmental pollution? Using filtered ductless fume hoods provides a breath of fresh air (both figuratively and literally) for the design team, contractors, and lab occupants.
This session will outline best practices for safely using filtered ductless fume hoods to achieve triple bottom line goals, including a reduced environmental footprint, enhanced safety and flexibility, and first-cost and operating cost savings. Additionally, multiple national award-winning case studies will be provided, detailing the results and value of using filtered ductless fume hoods instead of traditional polluting ducted fume hoods.
Learning objectives:
Presenter: Kenneth Crooks
Erlab, Inc.
12:30-1:30 pm EDT
Clearing the Air—Hidden Dangers of Chemical Exposure
Continuous exposure to chemical emissions is known to impact our short- and long-term health significantly. Benchmarks known as PELs were established by OSHA in 1970 based on TLVs from 1968 or earlier, but these benchmarks are woefully outdated. However, while the TSCA, and EPA’s OELs, are a bit more up-to-date, they too are not enough to ensure health and well-being within the workplace. Aside from the EPA and OSHA, ACGIH and NIOSH have established recommendations that are much more conservative and should be considered during your companies’ risk management policies. There are several solutions and additional safety measures that can be implemented to reduce exposure risks. One, in particular, is the use of properly engineered controlled systems to treat the chemical throughout its life cycle, in order to minimize risk and protect both your staff and your product.
This presentation will offer a deep dive into the general impact of poor indoor air quality (IAQ), and how labs can reduce exposure levels throughout the facility by reducing exposure levels to PM2.5 and bioaerosols. Learn about the hidden dangers in your lab, and how to recognize and mitigate them before it’s too late. Determine which safety standards meet your lab’s unique requirements and how you can build them into your lab’s safety plan; and learn how to ensure staff compliance to these important standards and regulations in order to minimize risk.
Learning objectives:
Presenter: Jesse Coiro
Erlab, Inc.
2:00-3:00 pm EDT
The Process of Validation—An Interactive Guide
There are many perceived misconceptions of the safety of ductless fume hoods, especially for those unfamiliar with AFNOR NF X 15-211 and ANSI z9.5 standards for filtration. Lab staff may be unwilling to use a ductless fume hood system, due to a fear of the unknown or a sense of ‘what if,’ or simply because it’s not the way things have always been done. Going against tradition can be an intimidating thing when selecting systems and equipment for a laboratory, so it’s important for lab managers to feel comfortable with their choices when adapting to “new” technology such as ductless fume hoods.
To fully understand the safety of ductless filtering fume hoods, this presentation will offer a comprehensive, interactive validation process of ductless filtering fume hoods, and a demonstration of how a handling applications assessment is performed in order to ensure users’ safety. Learn about the safety criteria involved with these fume hood systems, and the steps required to achieve complete compliance. This in-depth, “101”-style tutorial will provide the resources and background you need in order to confidently implement a ductless fume hood system in your own lab.
Learning objectives:
Presenter: Jesse Coiro
Erlab, Inc.
3:30-4:30 pm EDT