HVAC, Utilities and Non-Mechanical Installations

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) is important for any science, especially the ventilation aspect. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has published "Standards for Laboratory Ventilation"-ANSI Z9.5-1992, revised 2002. This document sets standards for air flow within a laboratory. The American Society for Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has published a standard for fume hood testing (ASHRAE 110-1995). Both documents are a part of virtually all building codes.

General laboratory ventilation requirements are:
General Laboratories
20 ft3/person or 4 changes of room air/hour

Chemical Storage Areas
6 changes of room air/hour

Fume Hood standards require a 100 linear foot/min face velocity at the front of the fume hood with the sash at the 6" level.

Laboratory ventilation exhausts must be positioned so that exhaust air is not re-circulated back into the building.
 
Laboratory ventilation is a complex subject, which needs to be reviewed with your local services staff to ensure compliance with local codes. Your Furniture Representative can help calculate fume hood duct and blower requirements, but we strongly recommend local review of all ventilation plans to ensure the safest possible working environment.

Utilities
Utilities (gas, water, sewer, electricity) are all local responsibility, since building codes vary from place to place. Your Electrical and Plumbing contractors and/or Facilities Services personnel are in the best position to advise on issues surrounding these items.

In general we recommend that you ask for a master shutoff for gas and electricity at a minimum. This master shutoff should be easily accessible from the Instructor's Desk or Demonstration Table. In addition we also recommend Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) outlets throughout the laboratory (these could be required by your local building code). There should always be enough outlets in the room to avoid large numbers of extension cords.

For the specific case of refrigerators, freezers and incubators, they should all be properly grounded. Any of these items in a Prep Room should be specified as spark-free.

Non-Mechanical Installation
Because of differing building codes, we will provide furniture but will not connect utilities or ventilation as a part of the installation. This is called Non-Mechanical Installation. Your plumbing, electrical and HVAC contractors are responsible for connecting all utility fixtures and drains once the furniture has been installed. There may be preparation work needed before your furniture is installed-it is your responsibility to ensure that the proper prep work has been done prior to installation of the furniture.