Review of Guidelines for Laboratory Design: Health, Safety, andEnvironmental Considerations, 4th EditionShadi Abu-Baker,* Shahrokh Ghaffari, Mohannad Al-Saghir, Raj Thamburaj, and Tarig Higazi

Ohio University Zanesville, 1425 Newark Rd, Zanesville, Ohio 43701, United States

Guidelines for Laboratory Design: Health, Safety, andEnvironmental Considerations; 4th ed., by Louis J.DiBerardinis, Janet S. Baum, Melvin W. First, Gari T.Gatwood, and Anand K. Seth. Wiley: Hoboken, New Jersey,2013. 552 pp. ISBN: 978-0470505526 (hardcover). $149.95.

When Guidelines for Laboratory Design: Health, Safety, andEnvironmental Considerations, 4th ed. was written, the

goal was to make it easier for lab users and designers to meetthe many challenges and considerations inherent in laboratorydesign, such as complying with health, safety, and environ-mental requirements. The book emphasizes the critical natureof the communication between the laboratory users, con-struction engineers, administration, and environmental healthand safety personnel for a successful lab design. Such a designprovides the best place for scientists to engage in research orteaching with reduced health and safety risks, as has beendiscussed in this Journal.1,2 The authors make it quite clear thata safe and efficient lab does not come about just by hiring thebest in the business, but through clear communication andgenuine cooperation between all parties involved, includingthose who will be working in the lab.

Reading and learning from a book of this kind with so manytechnical details and recommendations can easily overwhelmany reader. Credit should be given to the authors for theirthoughtfulness in organizing the information in a rather uniquefashion. Methods of organization such as listing identical topicsunder the same numerical designation make navigating thebook unexpectedly easier, despite the many details. Theappendices, table of units, and explanations for abbreviationsand the like are helpful to those who are not familiar with sometechnical verbatim used in the book.Guidelines for Laboratory Design is by far one of the best in

terms of layout, comprehension, and material. It is written by a

group of experts who represent all aspects critical for lab design,safety, and operation. The book is organized neatly andsystemically, starting with guidelines common for all types oflaboratories. Discussion then moves to the distinction betweennew construction projects and renovation projects before itdetails the guidelines and considerations for specializedlaboratories. The current edition is updated with relevantinformation pertinent to typical and highly advancedlaboratories. The book makes a clear distinction betweengeneral purpose and highly specialized laboratories, and furthersuggests unique or specialized labs that may be designed using acombination of the guidelines presented for both.This book is organized in six parts. In the first part, the

common elements of lab design and renovation are discussed,including building and laboratory considerations. In the secondpart, the design guidelines for a number of commonly usedlaboratories are discussed, including lab layout, heating,ventilation and air conditioning, loss prevention, industrialhygiene, personal safety, and other special considerations. Weare pleased to see that 20 specific labs that cover a broadspectrum of end users are described in detail in this section,including general chemistry, clinical, teaching, physics, animalresearch, pathology, anatomy, radiation, engineering, andnanotechnology labs, as well as many others. In the third partof the book, the layout and specifications of lab support servicefacilities and purpose-specific rooms such as support shops andstorerooms and waste handling are described in detail. In thefourth part, a general description of installing the heating,ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems arediscussed. In the fifth part, administrative procedures aredescribed, including the project execution and biddingformalities, commissioning and final acceptance criteria, andsustainable laboratory design. And finally, part six containsappendices and matrix tables related to safety items such asemergency showers, eyewash stations, warning signs, andchecklists for health and safety.In the section of the book dealing with general and analytical

laboratories, excellent suggestions are offered for designing anew building, as well as providing a wide range of choices forrenovating just a single lab or a whole building. Severalsuggestions cover details such as placement of tables, counters,and other general laboratory furniture. In this section, one mayfind a variety of issues for these laboratories. One noteworthypoint is to avoid having very sensitive instruments placed in thesame area where many chemicals are in use on a daily basis.Another useful suggestion is to consider caution regardingsafety; there are instances where a combination of nontoxicchemicals can generate a toxic substance; therefore, proper

Published: April 3, 2014

Cover image provided by Wiley and reproduced with permission.

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chemical storage and handling should be taken seriously.Because general and analytical laboratories are not normallydesigned to handle extremely hazardous material, the bookgives a list of situations, dealing with carcinogenic materials, forexample, that must be avoided and the list is a good referenceresource for those who are new to the profession. The authorsprovide alternative choices to laboratory designs to meet thespecific needs of users. These designs give specific suggestionsregarding the location of equipment such as fume hoods, bulkyinstruments, benches, and space gaps for a safe workingenvironment with ease of accessibility. Training of personnel inproper use of facilities and handling of safety equipment anddangerous substances is a must, especially in an academicenvironment in which a majority of users are untrainedstudents. The authors’ recommendation of the separation oflaboratories from office space is good, but in academic settings,especially in smaller institutions, this is not always possible.The possibility of construction and use of laboratories with

restricted access will probably increase in the near future.Perhaps the authors should have addressed these types oflaboratories in a separate section of the book rather thansuggesting that the designers use of a combination of theguidelines of other types of laboratories.An area that needs some more detail is designing laboratories

for future upgrades: for example, a BSL2 biomedical scienceslaboratory intended for upgrade to BSL3 facility in the nearfuture. Furthermore, we would like to see (in the next edition?)several economic versions of laboratory design guidelines, ifpossible. In today’s world, it is common to see unpredictablecuts for construction projects and the presence of suchguidelines would allow the shift to a more economic versionof these facilities.The authors acknowledge the use of elaborate and technical

language across the spectrum of those involved in the process,for example, environmental health and safety, architect anddesign engineers, scientists and other end users. For ease ofreadability by those involved, we recommend that theappendices include a summary of guidelines of interest toeach group, especially the scientists or end users.Chapters 1−5 and 16 may be of great interest and value to

readers of this Journal. Writing a book of this kind is achallenge, and we commend the authors for a job very welldone. We admired the inclusive nature of the book, and weappreciate the authors sharing their expertise. Perhaps thepublishers could provide a customized version of this book,including just the chapters appropriate for a specific audience,such as chemists or biologists.In summary, this edition of the book addresses a broad

spectrum of end users including administrators, researchers,instructors, engineers, and environment health officers. Thebook is a useful comprehensive reference for academicinstitutions, but perhaps not for individual instructors.

■ AUTHOR INFORMATIONCorresponding Author

*E-mail: abu@ohio.edu.Notes

The authors declare no competing financial interest.

■ REFERENCES(1) Kovac, J. Laboratory Design, Construction and Renovation:Participants, Process, and Product. J. Chem. Educ. 2000, 77 (9), 1126.

(2) Steere, N. Laboratory Design Considerations, Part 1. J. Chem.Educ. 1965, 42 (8), A583.

Journal of Chemical Education Book and Media Review

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