Debbie, 

Do you have the regulatory reference for this requirement?  Thanks!

Rachel E. Harrington, MPH, CHMM
Director - Environmental, Health, and Safety
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
3333 Green Bay Road
North Chicago, IL  60064
847-578-3420

LIFE IN DISCOVERY


-----Original Message-----
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of
Debbie M. Decker
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 1:11 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Fume hood flow indicators

Ralph:

It is now a regulatory requirement that all fume hoods (no
grandfathering) have a visual/audible alarm and that users are trained
on what the alarms mean.  We've been installing monitors on our fume
hoods, here, for about 10 years so compliance hasn't been too onerous.
But it is taking time to get old hoods retrofitted.  About 250 to
retrofit out of about 1600 hoods.

I agree with the requirement myself.  Though I have seen a pipette tip
jammed into the "mute" button on the alarm to shut it up when the hood
is operated incorrectly .

Debbie

-----Original Message-----
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of
Ralph Stuart
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 7:40 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Fume hood flow indicators

We are reviewing our fume hood oversight program (we have about 400 on  
campus and 40+ more to be added in the next year) and are considering  
design requirements for new hoods. One idea we're talking about is to  
request that the electronic flow alarm systems NOT be installed on new  
hoods. Our experience is that these are not well understood by  
laboratory worker and the alarms are often silenced into uselessness  
in many laboratories. We would substitute a campus wide standard "tell  
tale" (i.e. a fancy Kimwipe) to be taped to the bottom of the sash so  
that people could assess flow in a quick, uninterruptible way.

I wonder if other campuses have developed this idea and what your  
experience has been along these lines?

Thanks for any information.

- Ralph

Ralph Stuart, CIH
Environmental Safety Manager
University of Vermont
Environmental Safety Facility
667 Spear St. Burlington, VT  05405

rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**uvm.edu
fax: (802)656-8682

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