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Previous by Date: Subject: [DCHAS-L] Undergraduate instructional lab guidelines Date: Thursday, June 19, 2014 12:35:58 PM Author: William Munsey <MunseyW**At_Symbol_Here**BRCC.EDU> |
Next by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Undergraduate instructional lab guidelines Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2014 10:51:10 -0700 Author: Laurence Doemeny |
William,
I am currently going though this process as my university is trying to
renovate our 50 year old chemistry labs.
First, your architect should be working with a subcontractor who has done
chemistry labs or lab remodels. If he/she isn't, don't ask, don't request,
but DEMAND that either they bring in a lab expert or use an architect who
will bring in someone with chem lab experience. The lab expert should be
able to give guidance on the appropriate hoods.
Second, use this project as an excuse to visit as many college/university
chemistry departments as possible. See what other institutions have done
lately and talk to faculty to find what is working and what isn't.
Third, specific to your question, there are no specific requirements for
hoods in academic chem labs that I know of. The OSHA Lab Standard covers
employees (not students) and effectively states 'follow Prudent Practices'.
If students in gen chem are going to be generating toxic gases as we did
during the bad old days, then there will need to be hood space for them to
work in. Similarly, if they will be working with volatile organic
solvents, then there need to be enough hood space for everyone to work in
a hood. OTOH, rarely do gen chem students work with anything other than
aqueous solutions; if this is the case at your institution, you can likely
go to one hood per lab.
The issue is the org lab. Even as benign an experiment as a ester
synthesis should be done in a hood as some people have chemical
sensitivities to volatile esters. Anyway, there should be enough hood
space for everyone in the section to work in the hood at once - if your
org lab instructors allow for 2 person groups, then the number of hoods
can be decreased.
Hope that this helps.
John
John Nail
Professor of Chemistry
Oklahoma City University
>Fellow DCHAS-L members:
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On 6/19/14 11:35 AM, "William Munsey"
>
>My college is in the process of designing and planning new labs which
>will be used for undergraduate general and organic chemistry. We are in
>need of guidelines, specifically with respect to number and nature of
>fume hoods in a 24-student lab.
>
>Is there a Web site where authoritative information on this subject can
>be found?
>
>Thank you.
>
>William Munsey
>Professor of Chemistry
>Blue Ridge (VA) Community College
>munseyw**At_Symbol_Here**brcc.edu