Specialty Lab Safety Equipment

Specialty lab safety equipment includes specialty or proprietary products and accessories related to laboratory safety equipment. The safety and control of toxic chemicals or biohazard materials has become a major concern in many industries. Laboratory safety plans are required by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA). The OSHA Laboratory Standard regulation establishes procedures, laboratory safety equipment guidelines, personal protective equipment standards, and work practices that are designed to protect employees from the health hazards associated with using chemicals and biohazardous materials in laboratory settings. Safety regulations regarding laboratory hazards and specialty lab safety equipment are addressed by OSHA in the specific standards for each industry.

Specialty lab safety equipment plays a large part in laboratory safety in both chemical and biohazard industries. In chemical labs, chemical safety plans and chemical safety equipment help keep employee exposure below dangerous levels. Chemical safety equipment is also used protect workers from accidental spills. Types of specialty lab safety equipment for chemical labs includes chemical fume hoods, storage cabinets, eye wash stations, fire safety equipment, and personal protective equipment. In biohazard labs, specialty lab safety equipment is designed to keep workers safe while working with biohazardous materials including infectious organisms, human or primate tissue, or recombinant DNA. Common types of biosafety equipment include pipetting aids, autoclaves, biological safety cabinets, and laboratory centrifuges.

Air monitors are specialty lab safety equipment used in both chemical and biohazard labs. An air monitor is used to ensure that a worker is not exposed to dangerous levels of hazardous chemicals. Air monitors can sample worker exposure using diffusion detector tubes, vapor monitoring badges, or personal air sampling pumps. Air monitors are also used to monitor specific areas. These types of air monitors include detector tubes and pumps, hand held electronic monitors, or fixed wall mounted electronic monitors. In addition to air monitors, workers should also have access to respirators or other breathing devices. Respirators should not, however, be the first line of defense to protect employees from contaminants. A respirator should only be used when engineering or administrative controls are not technically feasible, when controls are being installed or repaired, or during emergency or maintenance situations.

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