Fume cupboards, microbiological safety cabinets, storage cabinets, ventilation systems and lithium batteries: many pieces of laboratory equipment are governed by standards that define their design, performance and use. During a session held at Forum LABO with experts involved in FABRILABO, the speakers highlighted the essential role of standardisation in protecting people, equipment and the environment.

Often perceived as complex or restrictive, a standard is first and foremost a technical reference document, developed by a recognised organisation and based on consensus between different stakeholders: manufacturers, users, experts, safety organisations and public authorities.

It defines rules, characteristics or methods designed to ensure the safety, reliability and quality of products, services and installations.

Standards exist at several levels: internationally through organisations such as ISO and IEC, at European level through EN standards, and nationally through standards such as NF in France. The same piece of equipment may therefore need to comply with different reference frameworks depending on where it is used or marketed.

One of the key points highlighted during the session was the distinction between a standard and a regulatory requirement.

In most cases, a standard is voluntary. It is therefore not a law. However, regulations may refer to specific standards as a way of establishing or demonstrating compliance, giving their application particular importance.

Even when a standard remains voluntary, ignoring an existing reference framework is not insignificant. In the event of an accident or dispute, being able to demonstrate that equipment and practices complied with recognised standards at the time they were implemented can become an important question of responsibility.

Manufacturers also have a duty to advise, informing users about applicable standards and helping them identify solutions suited to their specific needs.

A standard is not a fixed document. It evolves in response to technological innovation, new practices and feedback from users.

Several standards directly affecting laboratories have recently evolved or are currently under revision, covering areas such as laboratory design, fume cupboards, ventilation systems, local exhaust devices, laboratory furniture, ventilated enclosures, microbiological safety cabinets and safety storage cabinets.

These updates help ensure that reference frameworks remain aligned with real laboratory practices and progressively improve the level of protection provided to users.

The revision of EN 12469, dedicated to microbiological safety cabinets (MSCs), provides a good example of this evolution.

The original reference framework dated back to the early 2000s. The new approach reorganises the requirements into several parts to provide a clearer distinction between general requirements, the different classes of microbiological safety cabinets and on-site testing.

Among the developments presented during the session, greater emphasis is placed on actual protection performance. Tests can assess how the cabinet performs under degraded ventilation conditions to ensure that user protection is maintained.

The new structure also provides clearer guidance on testing during installation and routine inspections. For users, manufacturers and testing companies alike, the objective is to clarify which tests should be carried out, when and under what conditions.

Another major development presented during the session was the 2023 revision of EN 14470-1, which covers safety storage cabinets for flammable liquids.

A safety cabinet is much more than a lockable piece of furniture. Suitable materials, spill containment, ventilation, automatic closing systems, fire resistance and clear signage all contribute to laboratory safety.

The revised standard incorporates almost twenty years of experience. One of the changes presented is an increase in the minimum fire resistance to 30 minutes, compared with 15 minutes previously. Requirements concerning automatic door closing, ventilation systems, spill containment and the resistance of various components have also been strengthened.

One objective is to provide more time to evacuate the premises and allow emergency services to intervene safely in the event of a fire.

Standardisation must also keep pace with new technologies and new uses. One example is the increasing presence of lithium batteries in professional and personal equipment.

One of the main risks discussed during the session is thermal runaway. A damaged battery can overheat, release toxic vapours and, in some cases, cause a fire or explosion.

Standardisation work is therefore underway for cabinets designed to store and charge lithium batteries. The challenge is to protect people and property both from a fire occurring outside the cabinet and from an incident originating inside it, while also controlling potentially hazardous gas emissions.

This emerging topic demonstrates how standardisation can evolve to address new technological risks.

Beyond individual standards, one principle ran throughout the session: start with the actual risk before selecting the solution.

Equipment that complies with a standard is not automatically suitable for every situation. Before choosing a fume cupboard, ventilated enclosure, safety cabinet or other protective device, laboratories need to consider the substances being handled, quantities, frequency of use, risks to operators and the environment, and the level of protection required.

This approach is particularly important when handling carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic substances (CMRs). Risk assessment should determine the appropriate prevention and protection measures and, where necessary, their effectiveness should be verified through measurement.

A standard therefore becomes a tool supporting risk assessment, rather than an automatic answer applicable to every laboratory situation.

Indoor air quality in laboratories provides another example of this approach. Depending on the activities performed, laboratories may generate specific pollutants requiring appropriate ventilation.

Ventilation contributes to removing or diluting residual pollutants that have not been captured directly at source.

The speakers also emphasised that an occupational exposure limit should not be interpreted as permission to pollute up to that threshold. The objective of prevention is instead to reduce exposure to the lowest reasonably achievable level through containment, local extraction, ventilation and other appropriate protective measures.

Finally, standardisation is also a strategic issue for the French laboratory industry.

International and European standards are developed collectively. If French stakeholders do not participate in working groups, other countries will naturally promote their own practices, technical constraints and industrial interests.

The involvement of French manufacturers, users, experts and organisations in standardisation committees therefore helps bring real laboratory experience into the development of future standards.

Behind documents that may sometimes appear highly technical lies something very practical: designing safer laboratories, comparing equipment according to objective criteria and supporting the evolution of scientific practices.

Standardisation is therefore about much more than compliance. It is a valuable tool for safety, performance and informed decision-making in the laboratory of tomorrow.

Article based on the Forum LABO session dedicated to laboratory standardisation and equipment safety, led by experts involved in FABRILABO.