Furniture, laboratory

The National Occupational Exposure Survey (NOES), conducted from 1981 to 1983, indicated that 1,329,332 workers employed in various professions were potentially exposed to formaldehyde in the United States (NIOSH 1995b). The NOES database does not contain information on the frequency, concentration, or duration of exposure the survey provides only estimates of workers potentially exposed to the chemical in the workplace. OSHA has estimated that in the late 1980s over 2 million workers in over 112,000 firms were exposed to formaldehyde about 45% of these workers are estimated to be in the garment industry. About 1.9 million were exposed to levels of formaldehyde between 0.1 ppm and 0.5 ppm (mainly in apparel, furniture, paper mills, and plastic molding) approximately 123,000 were exposed to levels of formaldehyde between 0.5 and 0.75 ppm (mainly in apparel, textile finishing, furniture, laboratories, and foundries) and about 84,000 were exposed to between 0.75 and 1 ppm (mainly in apparel, furniture, and foundries) (OSHA 1996). 

Scientific Apparatus Makers Association 1140 Coimecticut Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20036 Standards for analytical instmments, laboratory apparatus, measurement and test instmments, nuclear instmments, optical instmments, process measurement and control, and scientific laboratory furniture and equipment (see Analytical methods). 

Search, detection, navigation, guidance, aeronautical, and nautical systents and Instruments Laboratory apparatus and furniture Automatic controls for regulating residential and commercial environments and appliances Industrial instruments for measurement, display, and control of process variables and related products... 

Chemical spills in the laboratory may be hazardous, damaging to flooring and furniture finishes, or simply messy to clean up. Laboratory equipment houses and distributors of safety equipment carry a variety of clean-up kits made for specific types of spills, depending on the types of chemicals handled. Generally, the kits contain absorbents or neutralizers, or a combination of the two, plus instructions for use. Kits should be stored as close as possible to where spills are likely to occur and not in a remote storeroom. Instructions must be kept with the kits, not in a file cabinet. Quick action in case of a spill is important in reducing both hazards and damage. 

When comparing different cabinets, there are a few clues as to which ones provide the best value. First of all, a manufacturer of laboratory furniture should have data on the chemical resistance of finishes used. Even though nobody expects to splash reagents over the fronts of the cabinets, accidents do happen. Resistance data should be compared to a list of chemicals to be handled in the laboratory. A costly finish with outstanding resistance may not be needed in all cases. 

Most useful of all is to see examples of the furniture under consideration after it has been in use for some time in another laboratory. A sales representative may be able to arrange for this. This is once again a time for door slamming and asking questions. How well does the finish stand up What are the comments from those using the furniture Do doors and drawers stay shut after closing ... 

A less expensive variation of modular furniture is in use in some European laboratories. The bench frames are built of permanently installed steel channels complete with tops. Modules containing combinations of drawers and cupboards can be hooked into the system and changed as needed, but utility outlets are fixed. 

The laboratory operator had a preference for steel furniture, which the engineering firm shared. Rather than accept their recommendation for a manufacturer, however, the laboratory operator accumulated a stack of catalogs and studied them carefully. There was a substantial price difference between brands and their features varied. One maker seemed to offer the right combination between price and desired features. The sales representative arranged for the laboratory operator s visit to where this furniture had been in service for about two years. It was carefully inspected with slamming of doors and opening of drawers. Although the finish had at times been exposed to chemicals, it had held up well. Best of all, the work benches were available on short notice. After much deliberation, a cheerful two-color scheme of... 

Figure 3 Plan for main laboratory room showing furniture modules with catalog numbers.

After some deliberation, sheet flooring was chosen rather than tile. Commercial grade vinyl was used in a color which harmonized with the laboratory furniture. The flooring was installed before any furniture arrived. While this called for more material, labor cost was much less. A sealer was applied to all seams. Although it stood up quite well, flooring with welded seams, not mentioned by either engineer or contractor, would no doubt have been more desirable. 

The installer engaged by the furniture supplier did a truly professional job. It was finished sooner than expected. There was some fear that the monolithic countertop slabs, which were pre-fabri-cated at the factory, might have size discrepancies. They did not, due to very careful measurements taken when the order was placed. The plumbing contractor chosen by the engineering firm did excellent work. The electrical contractor was pleased with the way circuits had been planned, and the planner in turn was highly satisfied with his installation. At the laboratory operator s request, all information regarding installation and maintenance was saved and later filed. The contractors admitted that this was not their common practice, but they were all in favor of it. 

A combination safety shower and eye wash station was installed in the laboratory. Although the engineering company recommended a very expensive chrome-plated unit, a much lower priced one which used plain galvanized pipe was chosen. Its performance was the same. The pipe was later primed and painted to match the laboratory furniture, another Saturday job for the laboratory operator. 

In setting up a new laboratory, the laboratory manager is faced with the task of taking the laboratory space, with all of its faults and imperfections and fitting in the various items of furniture and equipment in such a way that the equipment performs as well as possible. 

Laboratory furniture is prefabricated or custom designed for every purpose. Wood furniture is often used because of it s availability and attractiveness. The are several drawbacks to the use of wood furniture it adds to the fire load of the building and it is easily contaminated. In general, laboratory furniture should be constructed such that ... 

The new workplace was a suite of rooms in the Medical Center. About 15 researchers and students worked and studied in a total area of no more than 1800 square feet, apportioned among five or six rooms. Dr. Pribram had a small office and the only secretary. A larger room was reserved for a small PDP-8 computer and accompanying files and furniture. There were three other doors behind which laboratory space ranged in size from very small to moderately spacious. As a new post-doc student, dressed in slacks and sweater, I felt like a visitor, rather than a staff member. 

The atmosphere of the laboratory is loaded with particulates from different sources (floor, walls, furniture, equipment, clothes, persons etc.). Especially elements that are highly abundant in the Earth s crust (Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Na, K, Mn, Ti) and all elements of anthropogenic pollution (Mg, Cu, Cd, Pb, Ni, Co, Zn and Mn) are always present and can cause serious contamination. 

The first dream had to do with the dairy barn that I am restoring on my farm in Vermont. I was talking to Bob Limlaw, the master builder-carpenter who is doing the work. The second dream had to do with pipe leaks in my recently rebuilt farm house, also in Vermont, but all of the characters and themes referred to my laboratory in Boston, which badly needs remodeling now. The third dream concerned the bizarre and unique 1912-period office furniture that was being pilfered by my hospital colleagues as they anticipated the imminent closing of the Massachusetts Mental Health Center. 

Coupled with a general consideration for the safety of others, tidiness is a major factor in laboratory safety the laboratory must be kept clean and tidy at all times. Passageways between and around the benches and near exits must not be blocked with equipment or furniture. Floors must be kept in good condition to prevent slipping or tripping, i.e. they must be kept free from oil or water, and from any protrusion. Any spillage on a floor or bench should be cleaned up immediately. 

At NSF, a great deal of work is done on the development and implementation of NSF standards and criteria for health-related equipment. The majority of NSF standards relate to water treatment and purification equipment, products for swimming pool applications, plastic pipe for potable water as well as drain, waste, and vent (DWV) uses, plumbing components for mobil homes and recreational vehicles, laboratory furniture, hospital cabinets, polyethylene refuse bags and containers, aerobic waste treatment plants, and other products related to environmental quality. 

Special costs. Special costs include land, spare parts, inspection, project management, chemicals, miscellaneous supplies, and office and laboratory furniture. For preliminary estimates, these costs can be estimated as 4% of the cost of the process units, storage, steam systems, cooling water systems, and offsites. Engineering costs and contractor fees are included in the various individual cost items. 

A furniture calorimeter consists of a weighing platform that is located on the floor of the laboratory, beneath a hood connected to an instrumented exhaust duct (see Figure 14.13). The object is placed on the platform and ignited with the specified ignition source. The products of combustion are collected in the hood and extracted through the exhaust duct. Measurements of oxygen concentration, flow rate, and light transmission in the exhaust duct are used to determine the heat release rate and smoke production rate from the object as a function of time. 

Furniture calorimeters were developed in the 1980s in several laboratories to obtain this kind of data.70 71 The first furniture calorimeter test standard was published in 1987 in the Nordic countries as NT Fire 032. Furniture calorimeter test standards have been developed by ASTM for chairs, mattresses, and stacked chairs. The corresponding designations are ASTM E 1537, ASTM E 1590, and ASTM E 1822, respectively. The California Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation (CBHFTI) developed California Technical Bulletins (CAL TB) 133 and 603. These documents describe fire test procedures to qualify seating furniture and mattresses, respectively, for use in public occupancies in California. CAL TB 603 has been superseded by the Federal CPSC standard 16 CFR 1633. The primary difference between the various chair and mattress tests is the ignition source. 

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