The Use of Fume Cupboards in Schools – What You Need to Know

Are you selecting a school fume cupboard for your classroom? Do you have too many options and not enough information to make a confident purchasing decision? Well, the good news is that a school fume cupboard does the same job as one in any commercial laboratory, keeping people safe from hazardous airborne substances, but usually in less experienced hands.

However, while many fume cupboards are strictly designed for scientific applications inside the lab, teachers rely on them solely to protect students at all costs. The added benefit of access, demonstrations and insight is, in some ways, what sets a school fume cupboard apart from its commercial counterpart, and it's worth understanding more before you buy.

But if you already have a good understanding of the type of cabinet you wish to purchase, you can explore our full range of our fume cupboards or email sales@tion.co.uk.

Keeping the Classroom Safe

So, how can school fume cupboards ensure safety inside the classroom? Well, let’s start with visibility. Some fume cupboards use glass or plastic exteriors with 360-degree visibility, so no action goes unnoticed. In a classroom, a teacher is often watching several students at once, sometimes from the other side of the room, so being able to see straight through the cupboard rather than around it makes a real difference. A spilt reagent, an incorrect technique, or an unexpected reaction can be spotted and addressed in seconds rather than after the fact.

Full visibility also means staff can assess what's happening without having to open the sash or step away from other students, which keeps the containment intact while allowing teaching staff to see what’s going on. For students, it has a secondary benefit too. They can watch a demonstration or a classmate's experiment clearly from a safe distance, rather than crowding around the cupboard to see what's going on.

Additional safety measures, such as spill trays, red-light alarms, firetrace systems, or emergency shutoffs, are also important considerations. Remember, pupils are inexperienced users, so the aim is to minimise risk as much as possible. Protocols created for fume cupboards should reinforce school safety guidelines and fall in line with CLEAPSS G9.

Providing Essential Ventilation

Children are more physiologically susceptible to the effects of prolonged chemical exposure than adults, which is why ventilation matters more, not less, in a school environment. Filtering or removing toxic fumes is an essential barrier between students and the chemicals they’re working with. It’s a fundamental safety device and should be treated as such. This is also the thinking behind CLEAPSS G9. It’s the framework for selecting, operating and maintaining safety-critical systems in educational settings. Adherence starts with selecting the most appropriate fume cupboard for your teaching style. Not to mention the budget and space you have available inside your classroom.

Speaking of budget, not every educational institution has thousands of pounds to spend on a bespoke unit. Providing essential ventilation can still be maintained on a budget, so make sure you prioritise the fundamentals. In this case, the control system, alarms, and sash mechanism. Not to mention the type of fume cupboard that’s most suited to your application, either a ducted fume cupboard or a ductless fume cupboard. If this is your first time purchasing a fume cupboard, read our guide, Purchasing Your First Fume Cupboard in Three Simple Steps. Alternatively, if you're unsure on the differences between ducted and ductless fume cupboards, visit Choosing Ducted vs Ductless Fume Cupboards.

What Type of Fume Cabinet Does Your School Need

You can’t select a fume cupboard without understanding the science. So, start by establishing how the equipment will be used. Do teachers need to perform demonstrations? Is there a particular piece of equipment that needs to fit inside the workspace? Does it need to be mobile? Are you using large volumes of chemicals? What type of audience are you catering to?

For example, schools performing more advanced experiments in sixth forms or colleges tend to prefer ducted fume cupboards because of their versatility. They allow for a greater range and volume of chemicals to be used at any one time. But they also come with a larger price tag thanks to their ductwork installation costs and fans. On the other hand, ductless fume cupboards are more suited to lower-volume experiments or where ductwork isn’t feasible. It’s also easier on your wallet. Read our article, Choosing Ducted vs Ductless Fume Cupboards, for more information.

Then there are bespoke modifications. While this is unusual for lower education due to cost restrictions, TION can customise your unit's dimensions, worksurface, stand and cabinet material. Here is a quick checklist to run through before selecting the right fume cupboard. Write down the answers and show them to your manufacturer.

• What type of applications will it be used for?
• What chemicals do you plan on using?
• What is the specification of the work area within the cupboard?
• Do you need it to be portable?
• How often are you going to be using it?

Read our resource on the five things often forgotten before commissioning a new fume cupboard for more information.

Do We Need to Maintain School Fume Cupboards?

The short answer is yes. Like any essential piece of laboratory equipment, school fume cupboards need to be well maintained and serviced to operate effectively. UK law, under COSHH Regulation 9, requires fume cupboard performance to be tested at least once every 14 months. School fume cupboards are tested against CLEAPSS G9 alongside the wider BS EN 14175 standard, so this isn't a general guideline; it's a specific legal requirement your school needs to meet.

Maintenance is usually handled by the school's lab technician, who needs to keep a record of inspections, maintenance and commissioning works provided by the contracted company. It's very similar to an MOT on a car. If the fume cupboard fails inspection, it needs to be repaired and made safe before the cabinet can be used.

So, there you have it. Everything you need to know about the use of fume cupboards in schools. For more information on how to select the right fume cupboard for school lab settings, get in touch with our team today.