How Poor Fume Hood Maintenance Puts Researchers at Risk

Lab workers know that a regularly beeping fume hood or one that hasn’t been certified recently could be malfunctioning or in need of routine maintenance. There are periodic fume hood inspection checklists that technicians can use to ensure that their fume hood is in good working order. Should it fail any level of a routine check, then it is time for fume hood repair. But what if your lab equipment can’t be spared? You may be tempted to forgo service in order to complete experiments or finalize research findings, but it isn’t worth the potential risk to researchers. Here, we will discuss how putting off fume hood repair and maintenance can cause problems and put researchers at risk.

What Do Fume Hoods Do?

To understand the risks associated with a lack of fume hood repair and maintenance, we first need to understand exactly what a fume hood does. Fume hoods create an enclosed environment that is fully ventilated to the outdoors or uses specially designed HEPA filters to clean the air. This is necessary because work done in a fume hood typically involves harmful airborne contaminants like toxic gases, vapors, fumes, dust, or biohazards. Fume hoods capture, contain, and remove these hazards, protecting personnel in the room from breathing them in and potentially becoming ill or otherwise compromised. In addition, some fume hoods may also offer physical protection from minor spills.

Risks To Researchers

Now that we know what fume hoods do, it’s clear that if they fail in any way, they can allow harmful and hazardous contaminants to enter the workspace. On its face, this is a risky situation for anyone in the room, but especially for researchers, who are repeatedly exposed to these substances. That could lead to health concerns, but could also mean the potential for chemical exposure, fire, and even explosion, all of which would cause bodily harm to anyone nearby. This is a heightened risk if electrical components are already in need of repair.

Equipment damage is another real risk. Potentially corrosive chemicals can damage hood surfaces, and vibrations from failing components could have a negative impact on sensitive lab instruments. Taken together, these failings could lead to operational errors. This will make a researcher’s job more difficult and could lead to failed experiments.

Fume hoods are made with system alerts that let users know that a part is not working properly. These alerts must not be ignored! They may point to maintenance or fume hood repair issues like worn fan belts, dirty filters, clogged airflow, cluttered interiors, and improper sash use. Even slight changes in pressure can throw off airflow balance and cause problems. While researchers may end up being able to use a malfunctioning fume hood for some time, and may even do so without immediate repercussions, it could be that the faulty fume hood leads to tainted research findings.

In the end, it is always worth taking the time for fume hood repair. It means safer lab workers and lab equipment, and more reliable research. While a researcher may be physically fine, if their research is undermined due to using faulty lab equipment, that could spell a career downfall from which it may be hard to recover. 

There is no need to risk life, limb, or career! DigeLab Solutions is here to help with reliable fume hood and lab equipment repair, maintenance, and certification options. You may be tempted to try HEPA filter replacement or other seemingly minor maintenance tasks on your own, but it is really best done by a professional. Every repair or replacement requires a new certification in order for your lab to remain compliant with regulations. 

Signs That You Need Fume Hood Repair

Common issues that researchers may experience with fume hoods can range from blocked airflow and exhaust fan malfunctions to airflow turbulence and obstruction. Lighting malfunctions, excessive or unusual noise, and strong vibrations are also key indicators that fume hood repair is in order.

Regular cleaning, testing, and certification–along with proper use–ensure that your fume hood is working properly and not posing risks to researchers, their environment, or their work. Digelabs recommends daily, weekly, monthly, and annual fume hood inspections for peace of mind and full compliance.

Fume Hood Repair From DigeLab Solutions

To ensure that you can keep working and building your reputation, having an efficient and reliable partner is key! DigeLab Solutions is that partner. We offer fume hood repair, testing, decontamination, and maintenance, along with the required reports and documentation.

At DigeLab Solutions, we are committed to our clients. That’s why we are responsive to your needs. We know that you rely on having your lab equipment available, so we go the extra mile by making scheduling available during off-hours for your convenience. We are determined to get your lab back up and running as soon as possible. On top of our expert services, we also offer valuable insights that can help your future operations. DigeLab is fully certified to bring the highest caliber of safety and technical consultation for your lab equipment. Contact us today to learn more and schedule your next fume hood repair and certification.