Laboratory practices implemented to improve safety, energy efficiency
A new program at Sandia aims to increase occupant safety and make operations more energy efficient. The Sandia Smart Labs pilot has been launched in four buildings in New Mexico and California. On June 28, the team completed its first round of assessments to identify new areas that could be improved by the program.
Proven effective by institutions across the country, Smart Labs is a set of best management practices that use risk assessments to analyze and reduce ventilation risks within a laboratory setting. Ventilation is critical for maintaining environmental conditions for experiments and reducing occupant exposure to chemical hazards.
A team of industrial hygienists; systems engineers; environment, safety, and health coordinators; and ventilation consultants from the company 3Flow came together to implement the Smart Labs pilot.
“We had money to do a study, so we decided to start a pilot program to examine how Smart Labs could be applied to Sandia,” said Roberto Armijo, mechanical engineer and Smart Labs project lead. “This in turn will provide a road map for future projects.”