We provide Fume Hood Certification and Testing Services for All Laboratories

Fume hood certification should be performed at least once per year. Laboratory Design and Supply can test your fume hoods to make sure they are operating at optimal airflow levels. LabDS will send a qualified professional to your location to test your hoods using state of the art airflow monitoring equipment. After the airflow tests, you’ll receive a printout documenting the airflow levels. This is vitally important for you as you will need to keep the testing info on file as proper documentation of the performance of your hoods.

What Your Certification Visit Covers

A fume hood certification visit produces more than a single number on a form. Our technician measures face velocity across a grid of points at the sash opening. A hood can average acceptable airflow while still pulling weakly at one corner, and a center-only reading will miss that. We also check sash movement and travel, look at baffle positions, and note anything about the blower or ductwork likely to affect performance before your next annual test. Your report lists the measured readings point by point. An OSHA inspector or your own safety officer can see exactly what was tested and when.

Why Should I Have My Hoods Tested Every Year?

Laboratory fume hoods need to be tested and certified annually because OSHA inspectors are keenly aware that worker protection is important. If your hood is not operating at the standard minimum of 100 feet per minute airflow (face velocity), then it can be dangerous for any employee in the vicinity.
Additionally, annual laboratory fume hood testing and certification can pinpoint problems with baffles, blowers, air loss in ductwork and other inconsistencies. Without this annual airflow test, the ductwork could leak flammable and/or acidic vapors into your workplace, causing potential sickness or loss of productivity.

When to Test Before the Annual Date Comes Up

Annual laboratory fume hood testing is your baseline. Airflow tests should also be run whenever something changes around the hood. Common triggers include the following.

  • A hood has been moved, reinstalled, or newly installed
  • Blower, motor, belt, or ductwork repairs have been completed
  • Building HVAC has been rebalanced or air handlers have been replaced
  • Room layout has changed, including new equipment placed near the hood face
  • Staff report chemical odors, a sticking sash, or unusual noise from the hood

Any of these can shift face velocity well before twelve months have passed. Laboratory fume hood certifications run after a change document the hood as it works today rather than as it worked last year.

Schedule Your Fume Hood Airflow Test

Please contact Laboratory Design & Supply Inc. for more information or to arrange an appointment for an airflow testing professional to visit your location. We can be reached at 770-932-1118 or email us here.