ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY LABORATORY SAFETY DESIGN GUIDE-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR LABORATORIES

April 11, 2005

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Laboratory Safety Design Guide

Laboratory Safety Design Guide

7 April 2005

I.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR LABORATORIES

A. Scope
The primary objective in laboratory design should be to provide a safe, accessible environment for laboratory personnel to conduct their work. A secondary objective is to allow for maximum flexibility for safe research and teaching use. Therefore, health and safety hazards shall be anticipated and carefully evaluated so that protective measures can be incorporated into the design wherever possible. However, no matter how well designed a laboratory is, improper usage of its facilities will always defeat the engineered safety features. Proper education of the facility users is essential. The requirements listed below illustrate some of the basic health and safety design features required for new and remodeled laboratories. Variations from these guidelines require approval from the Environmental Health & Safety Department (EH&S).

B. Building Design Issues

Because the handling and storage of hazardous materials inherently carries a high risk of exposure and injury, it is important to segregate laboratory and non-laboratory activities. In an academic setting, the potential for students to need access to laboratory personnel, such as instructors and assistants, is great. A greater degree of safety will result when non-laboratory work and interaction is conducted in a space separated from the laboratory.
1.

Noncombustible construction is preferred.

Good Practice SBC/WSBC (IBC) Chapter 6

2. Offices should be separated from laboratories.

Good Practice

3. An automatically triggered main gas shutoff valve for the building shall be provided for use in a seismic event. In addition, interior manual shutoff valves shall be provided for both research and teaching areas.
Good Practice

4. Large sections of glass shall be tempered or laminated. Shatter resistant glass shall be used based on specific need.
Good Practice In the event of severe earthquake, as the glass in cabinets and windows breaks, the large shards need to be minimized to prevent injury. Shatter resistant glass shall be considered where impact resistance is needed or as a security measure.

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Laboratory Safety Design Guide

5. Outside air intakes must be at least twelve feet above grade level.
This is the minimum recommended height from NIOSH in DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2002-139, Guidance for Protecting Building Environments from Airborne Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Attacks, published May 2002.

6. The location of outside air intakes and all sources of emissions from the new facility must be evaluated by a consultant with experience in modeling to determine the best location of these components relative to themselves and to similar components of nearby existing facilities.

C. Laboratory Design Considerations

1. The laboratory shall be completely separated from outside areas (i.e., shall be bound by four walls and a roof or ceiling). 2. Design of the laboratory and adjacent support spaces shall incorporate adequate additional facilities for the purpose of storage and/or consumption of food, drinks.
Good Practice UW Laboratory Safety Manual, Section 2.A.4

3. Mechanical climate control should be provided as needed.

Good Practice The laboratory shall be within normally acceptable thermal ranges prior to permanent occupancy. Electrical appliances often exhaust heat into a room (e.g., freezer, incubator, autoclave). Failure to take this effect into consideration may result in an uncomfortably warm working environment. See Chapter 3 of this Guide for laboratory ventilation design issues.

4. When office and laboratory spaces are connected, design pressure differentials across closed doors between the spaces to prevent lab emissions from entering office spaces.
Good Practice

5. Design laboratory workstations to accommodate the needs of the work and the range of body dimensions that may be using the workstations. For example, computer and microscopes workstations may require height-adjustable work surfaces and chairs.
Good Practice

6. Each laboratory where hazardous materials, whether chemical, biological, or radioactive, are used, shall contain a sink for hand washing.
UW Laboratory Safety Manual, Section 2.A.3

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7. All work surfaces (e.g., bench tops, counters, etc.) shall be impervious to the chemicals and materials used in the laboratory.
Good Practice Many laboratory operations involve concurrent use of such chemical solvents such as formaldehyde, phenol, and ethanol, as well as corrosives. The laboratory bench shall be resistant to the chemical actions of chemicals and disinfectants. Wooden bench tops are not appropriate because an unfinished wood surface can absorb liquids. Also, wood burns rapidly in the event of a fire. Fiberglass (glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin) is inappropriate because it can degrade when strong disinfectants are applied, and it also releases toxic smoke when burned.

8. The laboratory shall be designed so that it can be easily cleaned. Bench tops should be of a seamless one-piece design to prevent contamination. Penetrations for electrical, plumbing, and other considerations shall be completely and permanently sealed. If the bench top abuts a wall, it shall be covered or have a backsplash against the wall.
Good Practice Since portions of bench tops cannot be easily removed and replaced, the primary consideration shall be to prevent chemicals, radioactive materials and/or potentially infectious material from seeping into cracks. Of great importance is the absence of laminated edges, which can develop a crack between the top and the edge. Wood and wood-finish walls or floors are not appropriate because they can absorb chemicals, radioactive materials and/or potentially infectious material, particularly liquids, making decontamination virtually impossible. Surfaces should be as free as possible of cracks crevices, seams, and rough surfaces to avoid surface contamination traps. Tiles and wooden planks are not appropriate because liquids can seep through the small gaps between them. Seamless penetration-resistant construction is particularly important for radioactive materials, highly toxic substances such as cyanides or mercury, carcinogens, explosive or flammable substances, and materials which could become hazardous with the passage of time such as picric acid, nitrated organics and peroxidizable substances.

9. Laboratory flooring in chemical use areas and other high hazard areas (such as biological containment facilities) shall be chemically resistant and preferably one-piece construction with covings to the wall.
Good Practice A continuous floor reduces the potential for liquid absorption. Covings are recommended to facilitate clean up. Surfaces should be as free of cracks, crevices, seams, and rough surfaces as possible to avoid surface contamination traps.

10. The walls shall be non-porous and painted with a durable, impervious finish in such a manner to facilitate decontamination and cleaning. High gloss paint is recommended.
Good Practice

11. Vented cabinets with electrical receptacles and sound insulation should be provided for the placement of individual vacuum pumps, where their use is anticipated. A one- to two-inch hole for the vacuum line hose from the cabinet to the bench top should be provided as well as connection to an exhaust system
Good Practice

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Laboratory Safety Design Guide

12. Provide shelves with clear plastic lips for seismic restraint. Lips should be inch above the shelf surface for bookshelves and 1.5 inches above the shelf surface for shelves used to store breakable containers, chemicals, or other hazardous materials.

D. Building Requirements
1. Designer Qualifications The designer shall have the appropriate professional license in his/her area of expertise and have prior experience designing laboratories similar in scope to UW projects that he/she is being hired to design.
Good Practice

2. Building Occupancy Classification and Control Areas Occupancy classification and control areas should be based upon an assessment of the projected chemical inventory of the building. Early in building design, the Architectural/Engineering (A/E) design team will need to assign occupancy classification and control areas for specific areas of the building to ensure conformance with building and fire codes.
1997 SBC Chapter 3 & 1997 SFC Article 80, Section 8001.10.2 (Sections applicable for existing UW facilities. Consult with EH&S if project is located within an existing building.) 2003 SBC/WSBC (IBC) Chapter 3 & 2003 SFC/WSFC (IFC) Chapter 27 and associated chemical specific chapters of the fire code.

3. Environmental Permits The UW is the lead agency for compliance with the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). Project managers shall consult with the Environmental Planner for Capital Projects to identify environmental and permit requirements for the building. This should be done well before key resource allocation decisions are made.
Permit Process: Project Managers Reference Document for Environmental Stewardship (UW Document)

E. Hazardous Materials Design Issues

1. Facilities shall be designed so that use of a respirator is not required for normal operations.
Good Practice

2. A pressure-differential system should be used to control the flow of airborne contamination. The flow should always be from clean areas to contaminated areas, but it shall be recognized that similar areas may not always require the same ventilation characteristics.
Good Practice

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3. There must be adequate in-laboratory storage cabinets to store reagents and chemicals and to provide segregation of incompatible materials. Storage design should be based on projected quantities and waste management practices.
Chemical waste may be stored on site over a considerable length of time until a sufficient quantity warrants off site disposal.

4. Sufficient space or facilities (e.g., storage cabinets with partitions, secondary containment trays etc.) should be provided such that incompatible chemicals and compressed gasses can be physically separated. When designing shelves and shelf spacing, it is important to include enough space (height and depth) for secondary containers.
NFPA 45, 7.2.1 and 7-2.3 Materials that in combination with other substances may cause a fire or explosion, or may liberate a flammable or poisonous gas, shall be kept separate.

5. An area for a spill kit must be provided within the laboratory or at a centralized area with a laboratory suite. Information on spill kits and procedures may be found at www.ehs.washington.edu
Prudent Practices in the Laboratory Laboratory employees are responsible for minor spills of the chemicals they commonly use. Major spills typically result in a call to the local fire departments Hazmat unit and are subsequently referred to an outside contractor. Equipment and supplies for large spills may be necessary on a case-by-case basis but is not common.

6. The laboratory shall have a means of securing specifically regulated materials such as controlled substances regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and radioactive materials, select agents, etc. (i.e., lockable doors, lockable cabinets etc.), where applicable. 7. See Chapters 5 and 6 of the Guide for additional requirements for compressed gas storage and hazardous materials cabinets.

F. Entries, Exits, and Aisle Width

1. Self-closing laboratory doors should be operable with a minimum of effort to allow access and egress for physically challenged individuals. A 36-inch- or 42-inch-wide door should be provided which opens in the direction of egress. (See the exception for BSL3 laboratories in Section 7 of this Guide). The exit access doorway(s) from the laboratory shall have a minimum clear width of 32 inches when the door is open 90 degrees.
Good Practice A main design factor for sizing laboratory doors will be equipment size within the laboratory. Door width shall be based on the largest design factor whether that is code or equipment driven.

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2. Laboratory benches, laboratory equipment and other furniture or obstacles shall not be placed so that there is less than five feet of clear egress.
Good Practice Laboratory benches shall not impede emergency access to an exit. This is also applicable to placement of other fixed furniture and appliances such as, refrigerators, etc.

3. The space between adjacent workstations and laboratory benches should be five feet or greater to provide ease of access. In a teaching laboratory, the desired spacing is six feet. Bench spacing shall be considered and included in specifications and plans.
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) NFPA 45, Chapters 2 and 3.

4. Spaces between benches, cabinets, and equipment shall be accessible for cleaning and servicing of equipment.
Good Practice Laboratory furniture should have smooth, nonporous surfaces to resist absorption, and shall not be positioned in a manner that makes it difficult to clean spilled liquids or to conduct routine maintenance. For example, positioning a Class II biosafety cabinet in a limited concave space might not allow the biosafety cabinet certifier to remove the panels of the cabinet when inspecting the unit for recertification.

5. Laboratory doors that separate laboratory areas from non-laboratory areas are to be automatically self-closing and may not be held open with electromagnetic devices connected to the fire alarm.
Good Practice This will defeat secondary containment provided by the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system.

6. Door swings should consider room pressure gradients to facilitate door closure operation (i.e., doors should swing into positive pressure areas and out at negative pressure areas). Doors at pressurized stairs should have a vestibule at the exit level to assist door closure operation.
Good Practice This helps ensure secondary containment provided by the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system.

7. Corridor width should be five to seven feet.

Good Practice This width is generally optimal for moving equipment and preventing unwanted storage in the corridor.

G. Electrical and Utility Issues

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1. The laboratory shall be fitted with electrical circuits and receptacles that can accommodate existing requirements plus an additional 30% to 40% capacity.
Good Practice The laboratory may have several pieces of equipment that require large amounts of electrical current. Such items include freezers, biosafety cabinets, centrifuges, and incubators. Permanent use of extension cords is not allowed by the fire code.

2. Electrical receptacles above counter tops within six feet of sinks, safety showers, or other sources of water, should have GFCI circuit protection unless there is a physical separation between the receptacle and the sink.
NFPA Handbook 70, Chapter 2, 210-8

3. Laboratories shall be provided with light fixture on emergency power at the entrance/exit door. Hallway and corridor emergency light shall be provided based on the local code requirements.
Good Practice SBC/WSBC (IBC) Section 1006.1 Pathway lighting in laboratories reduces the potential of personnel coming in contact with equipment and hazardous materials while evacuating the laboratory. Supplemental requirements for UW owned and operated buildings are also noted herein and in the UW Facilies Sevices Design Information Guide maintained by Campus Engineering and Operations.

4. Emergency shutoff valves for natural gas lines shall be located outside the lab behind an access panel (similar to a medical gas system). If the corridor is accessible to the public, valves should be secured behind a break-glass access panel, or equal. Provide at least one valve per floor. Consideration should be given to locating valves at a height that allows easy access and operation.
Plumbing Code Local Interpretation and Requirement in lieu of approved and accessible service valves Good Practice In the event of an emergency, the laboratory may be unsafe to enter. Hence, valves for should be located outside the laboratory. The local plumbing code authority has required these valves in research buildings where equipment and bench-top valves are either not AGA approved or inaccessible. See also Non-structural Seismic Hazard Abatement.

5. Flexible connections shall be used for connecting gas and other plumbed utilities to any freestanding device (Group II devices), including but not limited to biosafety cabinets, incubators, and liquid nitrogen freezers.
Good Practice Seismic activity may cause gas and other utility connections to break as equipment moves. Leaking natural gas is a fire hazard, and flexible connections minimize this potential hazard. See also Nonstructural Seismic Hazard Abatement. Group I equipment is considered fixed to the building structure and no subject to seismic movement. Group II equipment is considered equipment subject to seismic movement and is typically freestanding or movable.

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Laboratory Safety Design Guide

H. Accessibility
Teaching and other public laboratory design should include adapted workbenches as necessary. It is preferable to have some adjustable workbenches to allow for the large variation in body size among individuals. Adjustable workbenches should include the following: 1. A work surface that can be adjusted to be from twenty-seven to thirty-seven inches from the floor; a twenty-nine-inch clearance beneath the top to a depth of at least twenty inches; a minimum width of thirty-six inches to allow for leg space for the seated individual, and Utility and equipment controls placed within easy reach.
ADA, Title III Public Accommodations and Services Operated by Private Entities Sec. 303 New Construction and Alterations in Public Accommodations and Commercial Facilities

I. Non-Structural Seismic Hazard Abatement

1. All shelves shall have passive restraining systems. Shelf lips must be at least one and one-half inch high. For shelves that only store books, a rubber type sheet that you put under the books, designed specifically for this purpose, can be used in lieu of lips. The shelves themselves shall be firmly fixed so they cannot vibrate out of place and allow the shelf contents to fall.
Prudent Practices in the Laboratory 4.E.1 and 4.E.2 Installation of seismic lips on shelving areas will prevent stored items from falling during a seismic event.

2. Any equipment shall be permanently braced or anchored to the wall and/or floor. This includes, but is not limited to, appliances and shelving (to be installed by the contractor) which is forty-two inches or higher and has the potential for blocking corridors or doors, or falling over during an earthquake. All equipment requiring anchoring, whether installed by a contractor or the UW, shall be anchored, supported and braced to the building structure.
Good Practice This practice keeps such items from falling in the event of earthquakes and assures that safety while exiting is not compromised.

3. All compressed-gas cylinders in service or in storage shall be secured to substantial racks or, even more appropriate, sufficiently sturdy storage brackets. They shall be secured with two chains, straps or equivalent, at one-third and two-thirds the height of the cylinders to prevent their being dislodged during a violent earthquake. NOTE: Clamping devices are not acceptable as cylinder restraints.
Prudent Practices in the Laboratory 4.E.4 See also Chapter 5 for other compressed gas design concerns.

J. Teaching Laboratories

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Laboratory course instructors are faced with the task of introducing large numbers of inexperienced people to the practice of handling hazardous materials. Often, the students immediate supervisor is a graduate student Teaching Assistant (TA). The teaching ability, experience, and communication skill of TAs vary widely. Therefore, it is very important to provide a quiet facility with clear lines of sight, more than sufficient room to move about, and chemical storage devices which are both safe and obvious. 1. Adequate laboratory fume hoods shall be provided. A facility designed for intensive chemistry use should have at least 2.5 linear feet of hood space per student. Less intensive application should have hood space adequate for the anticipated number of students. Hoods shall meet the specifications of applicable portions of Chapter 3 of this Guide.
Prudent Practices in the Laboratory 8.C.4

2. Noise levels at laboratory benches shall be designed not to exceed 55 dBA to allow students to see and hear the instructor from each workstation.
Prudent Practices in the Laboratory Good Practice Students shall be able to follow the safety, health, and emergency information during the laboratory class period. It is very important to minimize the background noise, principally from air handling.