A summary of the responses I received to yesterday's inquiry... - Ralph From: Erik TalleyDate: September 26, 2006 5:19:42 PM EDT > I wonder if any other campuses > have gone through this exercise and > has a policy we could model our work on? Ralph, we are having similar issues here and have started a process to create guidance for these ductless hoods. Attached is a document from LabConco we have found useful. Erik (The file Erik attached is available at http://www.labconco.com/pdf/carbon_enclosures/ChemAssessForm.pdf ) == From: "Harvey, Doug" Date: September 26, 2006 5:19:48 PM EDT Hi Ralph, We have the same strategy here at UCSD and to date I think we have been very successful. I do not currently have a policy other than strongly discouraging the purchase of these units: http://blink.ucsd.edu/Blink/External/Topics/Policy/0,1162,13398,00.html The last time a lab contacted me I convinced them that they did not want the responsibility of maintenance (ensuring compatible material use, filter change outs etc). They agreed. I would think you would want to build a mechanism where by they have to document usage in relation to time and then build that into an EH&S inspection process. Sorry not to be all that much help. Regards, Doug == From: "Passalugo, Bob" Date: September 26, 2006 5:25:05 PM EDT Depending upon how "major" purchases at your institutions occur, it is not difficult for researchers to purchase ductless fume hoods. Over the years, most institutions will have noticed them popping up here and there. We enacted a construction standard that allows ductless fume hoods in new construction location provided the manufacturer of the filters can verify the filters will work with the intended chemicals. So far, the only chemicals they can be used with include the chemicals used to prepare microscope slides (xylene, alcohols only). After installation, the date of the filter change must be posed on the unit and the filters replaced every 6 months. If the ductless unit is used for materials not approved, the lab is cited during our lab inspection program and given 30 days to correct the problem. If the problem is considered an imminent hazard, the issue is sent to a dean for action. Bob Passalugo University of Rochester == From: lmstroud**At_Symbol_Here**aol.com Date: September 26, 2006 6:20:38 PM EDT Ralph Contact Mark Leith, AirClean Systems. Can give info on their monitoring system 919 271 7290. They manufacture ductless hoods. Auto shuts down if a problem. Linda == From: James Bukowski Date: September 26, 2006 7:49:42 PM EDT Ralph, Our policy is to prohibit them. Our purchasing department has been pretty good about notifying us for approvals on all hoods and BSC purchases, so we've had good success with keeping them out of the labs. James Bukowski, CIH HEM Environmental Health Officer == From: Mary Ellen Abel Date: September 27, 2006 7:09:39 AM EDT We have all of our ducted ventilation sources, i.e., fume hood, welding exhaust fan, etc. certified semi-annually. None of these sources operates to the extent used in an academic environment. Mary Ellen Abel Morton Salt == From: John Schaefer Date: September 27, 2006 7:20:22 AM EDT The way I handle these request is to follow the guidelines in ANSI/ AIHA Z9.5 -1992 Laboratory Ventilation Under 5.16 is states the criteria and concerns for ductless fume hoods and refers to section 4.12.4.2 for the requirements that must be met this in basically requiring two filters absorbers with a space in between for monitoring to determine when the chemicals have broken through the first filter. If dustless fume hoods do not meet this requirement then section 5.16 states the dustless fume hood " shall be used only for operations that normally would be performed on an open bench without presenting an exposure hazard." call me if you need to discuss this further John John A. Schaefer, MFS, CIH, HEM, CPEA Associate Director Health, Safety and Environment Assistant Professor of Medicine/Environmental Health Sciences Johns Hopkins University "Veritas Vos Liberabit" 2024 E. Monument Street, Suite B200 Baltimore, MD 21205 Office Phone 410 955-5918 Direct phone line 410 502 3025 Fax 410 955-5929 Pager 410 283-2510 Email jas**At_Symbol_Here**jhmi.edu == From: Jim Kaufman Date: September 27, 2006 6:46:16 AM EDT You may want to contact Stephan Hauville at the ERLAB Group. They make the Captair Ductless Fume hood. He is a strong proponent of the rigorous testing of these devices and I believe is on or chairs the ANSI committee in this area (Z-9.x?). ... Jim James A. Kaufman, Ph.D. President/CEO jimkaufman**At_Symbol_Here**labsafety.org The Laboratory Safety Institute A Nonprofit International Organization for Safety in Science and Science Education 192 Worcester Road, Natick, MA 01760-2252 508-647-1900 Fax: 508-647-0062 Cell: 508-574-6264 Res: 781-237-1335 info**At_Symbol_Here**labsafety.org www.labsafety.org == From: Bill Galdenzi Date: September 27, 2006 8:06:44 AM EDT We really don't use them. But I have some past experience with them. In the past, we have used them for nuisance control and not for exposure control (i.e. a process that has exposure potential exceeding the PEL, OEL, TLV,...etc.). Bill Galdenzi Health, Environment and Safety Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation (203) 812-3132 == From: "Dennis Mosser" Date: September 27, 2006 8:21:06 AM EDT Ralph, we have a couple of these in some of our science and forensics labs. Fortunately, they are used in labs where we also have ducted fume hoods so faculty and students can use them for the chemicals that require ducted hoods. We do annual certification of all fume hoods and biosafety cabinets, regardless of type. We do so for the same concern you mention below. This also gives us the opportunity to remind the users that the filters will need to be changed at some point and in some cases will need to be disposed of as haz waste. We do not have a specific written policy, since the hoods must be tested annually to satisfy the OSHA lab standard and FL Dept. of Ed. requirements. We issue copies of the fume hood test reports to the dept. heads and follow-up on correction of any deficiencies identified during testing. Hope this is helpful. Dennis Dennis M. Mosser, Safety/Environmental Manager St. Petersburg College 14025 58th Street, N. Clearwater, FL 33760 mosserd**At_Symbol_Here**spcollege.edu (727) 341-3385
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