Laboratory Facilities and Safety
Equipment
www.gmu.ac.ae
Laboratory Facilities
Laboratory Design
Considerations
1. Walls
• The laboratory shall be completely
separated from outside areas (i.e.,
must be bound by four walls).
• Having enclosed laboratories will
help contain spills, keep
unauthorized personnel from
entering areas where hazardous
operations are performed, etc.
Laboratory Design Considerations
2. Windows
• If the laboratory has windows that open,
they must be fitted with insect screens.
• Insects, particularly flies, are known to
be a potential carrier of disease.
• To keep insects out of the lab, the doors
must be closed while an experiment is
in progress, and windows shall be
screened if they are capable of being
opened.
Laboratory Design Considerations
3. Flooring
• The floor must be one piece, and
with covings to the wall.
• Floors should be coved up walls
and cabinets to ensure spills cannot
penetrate underneath
floors/cabinets.
• Tiles and wooden planks are not
appropriate because liquids can
seep through the small gaps
between them.
Laboratory Design Considerations
4. Water supply
a. Sinks
• Each laboratory must contain a
sink for handwashing.
• Exposure to hazardous materials
and/or pathogenic organisms can
occur by hand-to-mouth
transmission.
• It is extremely important that
hands are washed prior to leaving
the laboratory. For this reason, the
sink should be located close to the
exit door.
Laboratory Design Considerations
b. Emergency Safety shower and eye
wash station
• An emergency safety shower and eye wash
station are essential equipment for every
laboratory that uses chemicals and
hazardous substances needs.
• Emergency eyewash and safety shower
stations serve the purpose of reducing
laboratory injury and keeping workers away
from various dangers.
• Also, to avoid the chemicals that can cause
further harm to the body.
Laboratory Design Considerations
5. Illumination
• Laboratory areas shall be
provided adequate natural
or artificial illumination to
ensure sufficient visibility
for operational safety.
Laboratory Design Considerations
6. Ventilation
• Laboratory ventilation systems
designed to remove the toxicant
(chemicals) or contaminant (microbes)
from the point of generation, such as a
chemical fume hood and safety
cabinet.
• The difference for laboratories is that
air is provided via a single pass system
with minimum rate of four air changes
per hour (4 ACH) and it must be
provided continually at or above this
rate to all areas where chemicals are
used or stored.
Safety Equipment
1. Fume Hood
• A ventilated enclosure where harmful
or toxic fumes or vapours can be
safely handled while protecting the
laboratory technologist.
• The primary function of a fume hood
is to capture, contain and remove
airborne contaminants.
Safety Equipment
2. Biological Safety Cabinets
• Biosafety cabinets, also known as
biological safety cabinets, are
enclosed, ventilated laboratory
workspace areas designed to protect
the user and surrounding
environment from pathogens.
• All exhaust air is HEPA filtered to
remove hazardous agents such as
viruses and bacteria.
Safety Equipment
3. Glove Boxes
• Glove boxes are containers
sealed off and isolated from the
atmosphere and lab
environment to create a
controlled, containment system.
• This equipment is useful for
many applications, including
chemical and biological
research.
Safety Equipment
4. Negative-pressure flexible-film isolators
• It is a device that provides maximum protection against
hazardous biological materials.
• The workspace is totally enclosed in a transparent envelope.
• The isolator is maintained at an internal pressure lower than
atmospheric pressure. Inlet air is passed through one HEPA
filter and outlet air is passed through two HEPA filters.
• Work is performed using gloved sleeves incorporating
disposable gloves.
Safety Equipment
Negative-pressure flexible-film isolators
Safety Equipment
5. Pipetting Aids
• A pipetting aid must always be used for
pipetting procedures.
• Mouth pipetting must be strictly forbidden.
• Pipetting aids should be selected with care.
they should be easy to sterilize and clean.
• Pipettes with cracked or chipped suction
ends should not be used as they damage
the seating seals of pipetting aids and so
create a hazard.
Pipetting aids
