What Are The Start-up Operation Steps for The First Use of A Fume Hood?

The start-up operation steps for the first use of a fume hood are as follows:

Pre-operation inspection:

After starting the rooftop fan system, the operator checks whether all the power switches are in the on position.

Check whether the fluorescent lamp switch is turned on.

Check whether the fume hood is in the exhaust state.

Check the lighting, emergency exhaust, water supply, drainage, etc., to ensure the normal operation of the fume hood.

Check your personal attire. Wear a lab coat and correctly wear personal protective equipment such as masks, goggles and gloves. Do not wear any accessories.

Start the fume hood:

Press the power switch on the control panel of the fume hood to start the fume hood.

Adjust the exhaust air volume to an appropriate size to ensure smooth air circulation inside the fume hood.

Turn on the lighting system to ensure that the experimental area is well-lit.

Adjust the glass window:

The fully open glass window state is only allowed when assembling, debugging the internal instruments and equipment or cleaning the space inside the cabinet. This is the "debugging state".

When operating normally, half-open the glass window to allow your hand to reach inside the cabinet for operation. The upper part of your chest should be protected by safety glass. Generally, it is advisable to keep the window 10 to 15cm away from the countertop to avoid interference from the reverse wind direction caused by personnel movement to the fume hood.

When in standby mode, open the adjustment door to the lowest position to avoid sticking your head into the door.

Place the experimental equipment:

Place the experimental equipment at the designated positions inside the fume hood to ensure its stability and reliability. The experimental position should be at least 15cm deep inside the window. The equipment should be placed as close to the interior of the fume hood as possible and at least 15 to 20 cm away from the regulating door.

When experimental items and equipment are placed in the fume hood, they should be about 150mm away from the inner side of the regulating door to ensure smooth exhaust.

When the height of the placed equipment exceeds 10 centimeters, there should be an air flow channel under the equipment. Stainless steel brackets can be used to raise the equipment. Hollow or perforated brackets can reduce the interference with the air flow pattern.

Excessive equipment and instruments should be avoided from being placed in the fume hood. The total area of equipment or other devices in the fume hood should not exceed 50% of the countertop area.

When it is necessary to store essential items or equipment in a fume hood, they should be placed on the left and right sides as much as possible and kept away from sources of pollution. Do not store items or equipment that may protrude outside the cabinet, prevent the opening and closing of the adjustment glass window, or block the opening below the deflector.

Power supply equipment usage:

When using equipment or instruments that require power supply inside the fume hood, extra caution should be exercised. Such equipment should be grounded to reduce the possibility of sparks. The power cord should be pulled out from the air inlet at the bottom and connected to an external power socket. The power socket should also have complete and certified grounding facilities.

Precautions for operators:

Fume hood operators should always pay attention to their own relative position to the fume hood. Since the fume hood can accumulate pollutants, operators must not put their heads into the fume hood at any moment during the fume hood experiment, as this will cause polluted air to flow through the operator's breathing zone.

When pollutants start to be produced inside the fume hood, the operator must approach or leave the fume hood slowly, as rapid movement will disturb the airflow near the front opening of the fume hood and carry out the pollutants inside the hood.

In front of the fume hood, the operator should also avoid rapidly waving their arms and moving their position.

When working in front of the fume hood, the operator should always keep a distance of more than 150mm from the regulating door.

When taking items out of the cabinet, the movements should be gentle.

Try to minimize large-scale movements inside the fume hood and in front of the adjustment door.

When working in front of a fume hood, the movement of personnel in the laboratory should be minimized as much as possible. If there is frequent movement of personnel in front of the fume hood, it will cause a large amount of crossovers.