6 Top Tips for Creating Safe Laboratories

21 Sep

TOP TIPS FROM THE BULB TEAM

Six tips to follow in order to make your laboratories safer at the design stage:

1. Carry out a thorough risk assessment of your processes for materials used (chemicals, solvents, biological samples including blood, tissue cell lines), waste generation and handling, and gases/liquid Nitrogen required.

2. Determine if you need any licences to handle and store certain type of samples, for example if you handle human tissues, you need a HTA (Human Tissue Authority) licence.

3. Determine how the materials and waste will be handled, for example on open benches, in biosafety cabinets, in fume cupboards (determine whether you need ducted fume cupboards or if re-circulating types are safe enough).

4. Determine how waste will be decontaminated, stored, or disposed of. What will be the frequency of waste collection by an external waste handling company? Do you need an on-site autoclave?

5. Determine your gas requirements, for example bottle sizes, type of changeover system, monitoring alarms, external and internal storage options. If internal storage is unavoidable make sure cylinders are stored in blast proof cabinets.

6. Determine the need and install appropriate safety signs.

Benching

Laboratory benching forms a central part of any laboratory and procuring the laboratory benching to suit your equipment needs and budget is important to us.

If you prefer fixed, robust benching or modular benching that offers flexibility and reconfiguration, our laboratory furniture manufacturers can deliver the perfect solution.

furniture fittings benching

Worktops

Depending on your research focus your worktop design requirements might change to allow:

  • Chemical resistance
  • Bacterial resistance
  • Water & moisture resistance
  • Durability & scratch resistance
  • Ease of cleaning
  • High impact

Trespa Toplab Base is the industry favourite, but we can offer alternative worktops such as Corian, Stainless Steel, Epoxy Resin, Hardwood, Phenolic Resin to match your needs.

furniture fittings worktops

Shelving

We offer both wall mounted and benchtop shelving for reagents, typically in either 18mm MFMDF or 16mm Trespa Toplab Base. Wall shelving is mounted on a bracket system, while benchtop shelving is typically supported by fabricated steel frame.

furniture fittings worktops

Fume Cupboards & Extract

Properly ventilated Fume Cupboards offer a safe way to handle chemicals and solvents in laboratories.

From ducted to portable ductless Fume Cupboards, our specialist and experienced partners are at hand to advise and install the right solution.

We provide Fume Cupboards manufactured and installed to meet the industry requirements (e.g. BS EN 14175) in various sizes (External Width 1000mm - 1200mm - 1500mm - 1800mm - 2000mm), Specifications and types (Bench Mounted, Walk In, Double Fronted, Integral Scrubber, HF Type, Thin Wall Bench Mounted) to meet your requirements and safe extraction.

Unsure of what type to go for? Our lab furniture suppliers can help, just get in touch.

furniture fittings worktops

Safety Cabinets

If you prefer fixed, robust benching or modular benching that offers flexibility and reconfiguration, our laboratory furniture manufacturers can deliver the perfect solution.

Whether you need Class I, II or III to handle Hazard Group 1 to 4 pathogens we can recommend suitable furniture suppliers.

furniture fittings worktops

Specialist & Other Requirements

If you have any specific needs such as Cold Room or Clean Room installation services, Industrial Gases, Liquid Nitrogen, Non-ionising Radiation (LASER), Plumbing, Temperature & Humidity Control or other, we can help.

furniture fittings worktops