We are reviewing our fume hood oversight program (we have about 400 on  
campus and 40+ more to be added in the next year) and are considering  
design requirements for new hoods. One idea we're talking about is to  
request that the electronic flow alarm systems NOT be installed on new  
hoods. Our experience is that these are not well understood by  
laboratory worker and the alarms are often silenced into uselessness  
in many laboratories. We would substitute a campus wide standard "tell  
tale" (i.e. a fancy Kimwipe) to be taped to the bottom of the sash so  
that people could assess flow in a quick, uninterruptible way.

I wonder if other campuses have developed this idea and what your  
experience has been along these lines?

Thanks for any information.

- Ralph

Ralph Stuart, CIH
Environmental Safety Manager
University of Vermont
Environmental Safety Facility
667 Spear St. Burlington, VT  05405

rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**uvm.edu
fax: (802)656-8682

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