When hazardous fumes are present, it’s essential—and required—that you have the proper environmental protection, regardless of your line of research. Inhaling hazardous material particulates can lead to a litany of health issues.

High efficiency laboratory fume hoods and biosafety cabinets are designed to protect workers by limiting their exposure to these toxic vapors.

Chemical fume hoods, specifically, are a type of biosafety equipment generally suited for a ventilated, enclosed or semi-enclosed workspace. They offer your lab workers a ventilated area where they can work with vaporous materials in a safe, clean environment. All high performance fume hoods do this by pulling air through a sash and over the work area, and then either removing the air or filtering it back into the room.

Most modern units have vapor-proof, see-through polypropylene or polycarbonate front covers or sash windows that sit in front of the ventilated workstation, often including some type of exhaust system to process the toxic fumes.