A standards package, ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.5 and ANSI/ASHRAE 110 – Laboratory Ventilation Package, pairs two essential laboratory ventilation standards, ANSI/ASSP Z9.5-2022: Laboratory Ventilation and ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 110-2016: Methods of Testing Performance of Laboratory Fume Hoods.
The Value of Laboratory Ventilation
Carried out by the expansion and contraction of the lungs, the innate act of breathing can give dangerous fumes and other gaseous hazards in surrounding environments a quick means of transport into the human body, easily permeating their toxic destruction through the connection between the respiratory and circulatory systems. Because of this, in laboratory practices, just as workers need to protect themselves from hazardous solid or liquid materials by wearing adequate clothing and safety goggles, laboratory ventilation is a prime consideration for the safety of personnel and the protection of property.
What is ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.5?
The minimum requirements and best practices for laboratory ventilation systems that protect personnel from physical harm and overexposure to harmful airborne contaminants generated within laboratories can be found in ANSI/ASSP Z9.5-2022: Laboratory Ventilation (many might know this standard by its previous designation ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.5).
This American National Standard addresses the issue of laboratory ventilation by detailing the requirements necessary for carrying out a Laboratory Ventilation Management Plan (LVMP), which covers a wide range of components and concepts. ANSI/ASSP Z9.5-2022 also addresses design requirements for ventilation systems, performance testing, and training. This standard is meant for those with legal responsibilities and liability for providing a safe lab, but users/operators, industrial hygienists, other safety and environmental professionals will also find the standard written for their needs.
You can learn more about this standard in our post ANSI/ASSP Z9.5-2022: Laboratory Ventilation.
What is ANSI/ASHRAE 110?
A common piece of equipment in an LVMP is a laboratory fume hood. This type of device filters laboratory air by containing and exhausting air contaminants. Due to the importance of fume hoods in managing the hazardous chemicals that have found their way into the air of laboratory workspaces, OSHA 1910.1450 requires “that fume hoods and other protective equipment are functioning properly and specific measures that shall be taken to ensure proper and adequate performance of such equipment.”
Assessment of fume hood performance is addressed in ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 110-2016: Methods of Testing Performance of Laboratory Fume Hoods. This standard, which is applicable to conventional, bypass, auxiliary air, and variable-air-volume (VAV) laboratory fume hoods, covers a qualitative and quantitative test method for evaluating fume containment of laboratory fume hoods. Its procedures include ways to visualize the flow of fumes, measure the velocity of air at the face of the hood, and determine the susceptibility of any personnel to the hood through the use of a test mannequin.
You can learn more about this standard in our post ANSI/ASHRAE 110: Laboratory Fume Hoods Performance Testing.
About the ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.5 and ANSI/ASHRAE 110 – Laboratory Ventilation Package
ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.5 and ANSI/ASHRAE 110 – Laboratory Ventilation Package, a standards package, contains these two documents, ANSI/ASSP Z9.5-2022: Laboratory Ventilation and ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 110-2016: Methods of Testing Performance of Laboratory Fume Hoods. With this, manufacturers and other relevant parties can acquire the assortment of requirements and specifications for both laboratory ventilation and fume hoods.
The ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.5 and ANSI/ASHRAE 110 – Laboratory Ventilation Package is available only on the ANSI Webstore.
