Hang this poster beside the fume hood, so the checks are in front of whoever is about to use it.
What is on the poster
Before you start
- Check the air gauge: it must read within the marked range.
- Set the sash at the height marked on the hood's test tag.
- Gauge low, or the hood not working? Tag it out and do not use it, whatever the fan sounds like.
While you work
- Keep your head out of the hood.
- Keep the sash as low as the work allows.
- Keep materials at least 6 inches back from the sash.
- Keep the airflow clear.
Why the sash height matters
| Sash opening | Exhaust | Face velocity |
|---|---|---|
| 48 in wide, 18 in high: 6 sq ft | 600 cfm | 600 ÷ 6 = 100 ft/min: in range |
| 48 in wide, 9 in high: 3 sq ft | 600 cfm | 600 ÷ 3 = 200 ft/min: same fan, faster air |
Target 80 to 120 feet per minute (AIHA, as cited by OSHA). Every hood is tested every year at a marked sash height of 12 to 18 inches, and its tag records it.
A fume hood is not storage. Laboratory exhaust is never recirculated into the building.
The poster's drawing shows a hood with its sash lowered, the air gauge, the line 6 inches back from the sash, and room air moving in through the opening: gauge in range, sash low, work 6 inches in, head out.
Built to the Science Safety Teaching Standard
This poster carries the SSTS mark. Like every Science Safety course, it is built to the Science Safety Teaching Standard (SSTS): every rule on it is taken from the body that governs it, at its current edition, and the source is printed on the poster, so you can check it yourself.
Stay current
When you get this poster, it is saved to your Science Safety account. If we revise the poster, or the Ventilation and Chemistry Labs module it comes from changes, we will email you, and the latest version will be waiting under Downloads in your account. Every revision carries its revision number and date at the bottom of the poster, so you can tell at a glance whether the copy on your wall is current.
Printing and hanging
- One-page PDF, US letter (8.5 by 11 inches).
- White background, so it prints clearly on any office or classroom printer without using much ink.
- Hang it beside the fume hood, at eye level.
- The QR code in the blue title band opens this page, so anyone can get their own copy.
- The QR code at the bottom opens the Ventilation and Chemistry Labs module.
Learn more
The Ventilation and Chemistry Labs module teaches the full topic this poster comes from.
Sources:
- 29 CFR 1910.1450(e)(3)(iii), the Laboratory Standard – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (reviewed October 2, 2026)
- QuickFacts: Laboratory Safety, Chemical Fume Hoods (OSHA 3407) – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (reviewed October 2, 2026)
- OSHA 3258, page 11, the AIHA face-velocity range – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (reviewed October 2, 2026)
- Science Safety Manual, page 18 – New York City Department of Education (reviewed October 2, 2026)
- NFPA 45, Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals – National Fire Protection Association (reviewed October 2, 2026)
Poster SSP-0043, Rev. 1, October 2026.
