Our university campus standard is 10 ACH ventilation rate for laboratories. How do I address safety concerns when lowering the required minimum ventilation rate to 8 ACH or even 6 ACH?
A. Ask your EHS professional for the scenario when 10 air changes are safe and 6 air changes are not. Generally the concern is a major release such as a spill. In such a situation, neither air change rates are safe – the occupants should leave. So if they have the opportunity to push a panic switch, five benefits can arise: 1. The control system can increase the airflow significantly (say to 20+ air changes) 2. An alarm can signal your EHS staff that there is a problem 3. An alarm can signal others that may enter the lab that they should not 4. Huge amounts of energy and capital costs are not wasted 5. Lower quantities of air supply reduce the negative effects supply air can have on fume hoods This option with lower capital and operating cost may actually significantly improve safety. Many labs are not classified as hazardous (most university labs). H-6 occupancy (a hazardous classification) only requires six air changes. Note that standards are not codes, and judgment is required in t
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