P3 & M3 & D2
DESIGNING A SCIENTIFIC LAB
When building scientific labs, there is a lot of planning, building, rebuilding due to science changing
every day. Science is advancing and technology is always developing, so new machinery has to be
installed in a lab to test for new things. A lot of money and resources are spent, as it is a complex
structure where it must facilitate scientist and technicians to carry out their work. Labs need to meet
certain requirements to carry out experiments in schools, colleges and organisations.
The way labs are built are special, as specific building materials are needed so that they are not
affected by chemicals in the lab. We interviewed our chemistry teacher Rupsana and Christoper, who
is a senior technician. They commonly use a laboratory so we asked some questions on how to
improve the labs to make them more efficient and useful.
One of the most fundamental point conveyed by both people was that the labs should be easy to
navigate around; it should not be compact, but open so that chemicals and equipment can be carried
in and out of the lab safely to avoid any accidents. It should also allow students, teachers and lab
technicians to move around freely. In case of emergencies, people could get out quickly from the lab
due to the space available to move through efficiently. Storage space is also needed so that
chemicals and equipment can be stored safely. There should always be services available at all times,
like water, gas and electricity so that experiments can be conducted.
Ventilation is another important key factor; adequate fresh air is needed so that toxic substances are
kept away from people. However, this should not be released into the environment, unless it is safe
to do so. Colleges have fume cupboards, which get rid of harmful gas by sucking up the air.
Labs have a lot of equipment around such as fume cupboards, ovens, incubators and glassware,
which are used frequently when experiments are carried out. The equipment needs to be
maintained properly so that it can be used in the future; it should be kept clean so that there is no
cross-contaminations.
Health and safety is always a priority, but sometimes accidents and injuries may occur, so there are
key equipment present in most labs in case of emergencies. For example, first aid kits are present in
all labs if someone cuts their skin or any other basic medical attention. Due to the OSHA regulations,
eye wash stations must be present in labs just in case something like acids gets inside the eyes or
face of someone, so that it can quickly be washed off. Fire extinguishers and fire blankets are present
just in case there is a fire emergency. In most labs or technicians’ office, mineral absorbents can be
found, which help absorb liquids if spilled; however, they are not required by law.
DESIGNING A SCIENTIFIC LAB
When building scientific labs, there is a lot of planning, building, rebuilding due to science changing
every day. Science is advancing and technology is always developing, so new machinery has to be
installed in a lab to test for new things. A lot of money and resources are spent, as it is a complex
structure where it must facilitate scientist and technicians to carry out their work. Labs need to meet
certain requirements to carry out experiments in schools, colleges and organisations.
The way labs are built are special, as specific building materials are needed so that they are not
affected by chemicals in the lab. We interviewed our chemistry teacher Rupsana and Christoper, who
is a senior technician. They commonly use a laboratory so we asked some questions on how to
improve the labs to make them more efficient and useful.
One of the most fundamental point conveyed by both people was that the labs should be easy to
navigate around; it should not be compact, but open so that chemicals and equipment can be carried
in and out of the lab safely to avoid any accidents. It should also allow students, teachers and lab
technicians to move around freely. In case of emergencies, people could get out quickly from the lab
due to the space available to move through efficiently. Storage space is also needed so that
chemicals and equipment can be stored safely. There should always be services available at all times,
like water, gas and electricity so that experiments can be conducted.
Ventilation is another important key factor; adequate fresh air is needed so that toxic substances are
kept away from people. However, this should not be released into the environment, unless it is safe
to do so. Colleges have fume cupboards, which get rid of harmful gas by sucking up the air.
Labs have a lot of equipment around such as fume cupboards, ovens, incubators and glassware,
which are used frequently when experiments are carried out. The equipment needs to be
maintained properly so that it can be used in the future; it should be kept clean so that there is no
cross-contaminations.
Health and safety is always a priority, but sometimes accidents and injuries may occur, so there are
key equipment present in most labs in case of emergencies. For example, first aid kits are present in
all labs if someone cuts their skin or any other basic medical attention. Due to the OSHA regulations,
eye wash stations must be present in labs just in case something like acids gets inside the eyes or
face of someone, so that it can quickly be washed off. Fire extinguishers and fire blankets are present
just in case there is a fire emergency. In most labs or technicians’ office, mineral absorbents can be
found, which help absorb liquids if spilled; however, they are not required by law.
