Fume hoods seem simple enough. They’re a big box with a fan somewhere that draws air through it via an open sash. And if the face velocity is around 100 feet per minute, then I’m all set and well protected. Right? Nope.
Fume hoods are technologically complex with many functions. They’re just one of four parts of lab air that all factor into health and safety. [The others are supply, exhaust, and room balance]. Also, safe fume hood performance requires users to understand how it’s supposed to operate. And most importantly, users need to recognize that fume hoods are an important element of the laboratory ventilation system and what they do in and around the hood impacts performance. Safety starts with knowledge— that’s where Chip’s free course comes in.
Chip Albright is president of Fume Hood Certified, LLC and is dedicated to helping lab professionals stay healthy and safe while using fume hoods. He’s seen a ton of problems over the years and has many tales of woe, some tragic and some we just shake our heads and ask ourselves, “Why did they do that?”
Chip is the author of the book, Laboratory Fume Hoods Explained: Working Safely with Fume Hoods. He and I have had many conversations about fume hoods not being operated, tested, or used correctly. As he’s said to me, “Jon, I’ve seen people get sick or even die from fume hoods not functioning right. Sometimes it’s the way it’s installed, not maintained, operational, or sadly user error. I’ve been involved in cases where a fire got out of control in a hood and destroyed years of research. I just want to help people stay healthy and safe, and not burn the lab down.”
With that purpose and mission, Chip decided to convert the popular book to a free course. Many have already taken it with very good feedback and appreciation for what they learn.
Do you use a hood? Or are you responsible for others who do? Imagine what nuggets you’ll learn or best practices you can use to help others understand about the hazards so they can work safely.
The best thing about this course is that it’s taught by a lab and fume hood professional who has helped hundreds of clients all over the world determine what’s wrong with how their hoods are operating and how to fix the problems. And it’s free—no money is changing hands— not between you and Fume Hood Certified, nor between them and us. We just think highly of Chip for offering his expertise to help people remain safe and healthy (and he knows his stuff!)
Click here to register for the course. Let me know what you learn once you do. I’m willing to bet you will feel it was worth your time.
Jonathan Klane, M.S.Ed., CIH, CSP, CHMM, CIT
Senior safety editor, Lab Manager
jklane@labmanager.com
Jonathan Klane, M.S.Ed., CIH, CSP, CHMM, CIT, is senior safety editor for Lab Manager. His EHS and risk career spans more than three decades in various roles as a consultant, trainer, professor, embedded safety director for two colleges of engineering, and now writing for Lab Manager. He is a PhD candidate in human and social dimensions of science and technology at Arizona State University where he studies our risk perceptions and the effects of storytelling. He can be reached at: jklane@labmanager.com.
