When someone refers to the word laboratory, we immediately think of particular equipment that facilitate lab personnel to do their experiments and research. But, what we don’t realize is that laboratory also consists of furniture specially designed for it. Laboratory furniture is designed and manufactured to withstand rigors of lab and enable scientists to work and store materials easily. The type of furniture and size varies greatly depending upon the lab and its objective. Different types of lab furniture include: laboratory benches and stools, cabinets, fume hoods, apparel dispensers, etc.

Purchasing furniture for laboratory involves careful consideration of the kind of experiments that will be carried on. Before setting up a lab, requirements of the people working in the lab and chemicals involved must be considered. Attention should be paid to ascertain that the laboratory furniture one buys offer maximum functionality and safety.

Laboratory Furniture
Work station is one item of lab furniture that is required in every laboratory. They are available in an array of different styles and dimensions. A work station offers a wide surface area for lab personnel to conduct experiments without any hassle. However, it is essential to consider and evaluate the material of work station before making a purchase. An ideal material for a work station should be both fire and chemical resistant. A work station is very useful for working with scientific instruments as well as for storing chemicals.

Fume hoods For industrial and research based laboratories, fume hoods are also important piece of lab furniture. A fume hood is imperative to protect lab personnel from many dangers to which they are exposed to in a lab. Many materials used while conducting a research can emit hazardous fumes and vapors. Hence, installing a fume hood in a lab can shield lab workers from serious injury. Fume hoods can be manufactured from different materials although modern day fume hoods are made from epoxy as it is heat and chemical retardant.

A care should be taken that these hoods must not be used as storage space. The airflow is greatly reduced by jars or boxes and it is possible that any spark in the fume hood can spread to flammable materials.

You may buy laboratory furniture from furniture store nearby or from an online portal, but, ensure that the furniture is modern enough to withstand the rigors of today’s research and it is not broken.

Fume Hoods are the equipments that are widely used in the laboratories for ensuring the safety of the people working in the lab. This equipment prevents people from getting exposed to dangerous and hazardous fumes. In the past, these hoods were developed from wood, but today, with the advancement in the technology, these hoods are developed from mild steel with a coating of epoxy. Modern day fume hoods are safer than the traditional wooden hoods. Apart from the laboratories, Fume Hood also used in the industries where hazardous and dangerous gases, dusts and vapors are released from different operations. There are two types of these hoods-Ducted Hoods and Re-circulating Hoods. The basic working principle is quite similar for both the types of hoods.

Re-circulating Hood: The re-circulating hood draws the air present around lab or in surroundings of the place of experiment into the built-in filter, discharging the pure air back in the laboratory or in the surrounding area of the experiment.

Ducted Fume Hood: The ducted hood draws the air present around the lab or in surroundings of the experiment place into the ventilation system, where it is purified and then released out.

Just as all other equipment of the laboratory has a set guideline for their use; fume hood also has some specific guidelines regarding its functioning. These guidelines must be followed in order to ensure protection and safety. In addition to this safety equipment, the Laboratory Furniture also plays a great role for the safety and protection of the users. Thus, the lab furniture has gained great demand these days. A wide variety of furniture that has more durability, flexibility and functionalists are being introduced for use in the lab. The laboratory furniture should make you feel comfortable at work and it should be adaptable according to your requirements. There are various seating arrangements, cabinets and work stations designed for the laboratories. Work station of different heights and widths are available for use in laboratories. These are the most commonly used furniture types in the laboratories. However, they should possess enough strength and must be capable of holding heavy weights. Different laboratories may have different utilities, thus, work station must be designed accordingly. Customizing the design as per your needs could include:

1. You must ensure that the desk surface has depth that is adequate enough for holding the maximum sized equipment of the laboratory, leaving some space in front of the equipment to carry out writing work.
2. Further, you must ensure that you have a comfortable place to sit and adequate space to stretch your legs and relax.
3. The storage structure must be designed in such a way that the entire space is utilized efficiently.
4. You could either opt for mobile or fixed work station for your laboratory.

If you do not take proper care in designing the furniture for your lab, chances are high that you end up wasting your money and space of your lab.