Advancing Laboratory Safety: The Evolution Towards Dynamic Air Quality Control
30 April 2024 • Article Summary
Topic: Demand Controlled Ventilation
Occupational Health & Safety
This text describes a new approach to laboratory air quality control, called Demand-Based Control (DBC). Traditionally, labs maintained a fixed high air change rate (ACH) to ensure safety, which was expensive and inefficient. DBC uses real-time air quality data to adjust ACH rates, reducing costs and energy use while improving safety.
Here's a summary in under 200 words:
- Labs historically used a constant high air change rate (ACH) for safety, but this was expensive and inefficient.
- A new approach, Demand-Based Control (DBC), uses real-time air quality data to adjust ACH rates.
- DBC reduces energy use and costs while improving safety by proactively addressing air quality issues.
- DBC provides data to identify labs needing attention and helps EH&S teams be more proactive.
- DBC offers a high return on investment through cost savings, safety improvements, and reduced carbon footprint.