Safety
1. The laminated safety glass is to be used only as a safety shield. Use latex gloves, goggles, etc. when using the flow hood.
2. Only perform experiments in the hood that can be done safely. Hoods are not a substitute for glove boxes and safety cabinets.
3. Hazardous waste and chemicals should not be stored in laminar flow hoods.
4. All equipment that is left in the flow hood should be placed towards the back but not laid across the back wall. Blocking the baffles reduces airflow.
5. The flow hood is a safety device. If airflow stops, lower the safety glass all the way to prevent fumes from flowing into the laboratory. If there is an air flow alarm on your hood, leave it in the ON position.
6. Note: No hood will work if cross-drafts in the room are significant (e.g. =20% of the throughput of the hood itself).
7. Laminar flow hood requires good sterilization in order to prevent the formation of unwanted bacterial growth. Forma recommends also wearing long sleeve and latex gloves.
Operations
Note: Operations for laminar flow hoods are similar to those as fume hoods with a few different with respect to sterility.
1. Wash hands and arms with germicidal detergent in order to prevent contamination of the hood.
2. Disinfect the entire work area before and afterwards with 70% alcohol as recommended by the manufacturer's manual.
3. When finished, cover everything in contact with the chemicals or agent and allow the hood to just run for thirty minutes. After this is done remove equipment and wipe surfaces down with 70% alcohol. If the drain has been used, flush with disinfectant and rinse with water.
4. If a spill occurs, clean and disinfect all equipment immediately. Discard all items that cannot be disinfected.
5. Germicidal light may be turned on if the hood will not be used for a prolonged period of time.
Maintenance
1. The filters have to be changed. Check specific manuals for frequency and procedure. Some models of laminar flow hoods have magnehelic devices on them which measure the pressure differential between the filters. If the magnehelic rises above 50%, it may be time to change the filter (i.e. the filter is clogging).
2. See specific manuals for testing and other maintenance.
3. Use Technical Safety Services. Talk to Gary Morrow at Environmental Health and Safety.
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