An effective laboratory design doesn’t happen by accident. You must be conscious of your laboratory needs and all the parts going into it during the design phase. If you want to create a safe and efficient laboratory space, study these characteristics of an effective laboratory design.

Safety Measures

An effective laboratory design is a safe laboratory design. Laboratory PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) should be located in a safe and well-maintained spot where all lab personnel can easily access it upon entering the lab. Beyond PPE, laboratory design should also consider the various conditions and elements that lab experiments will require, such as humidity control, air pressurization, and ventilation. Proper ventilation is critical in any lab setting, especially those where chemicals and other airborne toxins are located. This is why the inclusion of equipment like the fume hood is so important.

Promote Efficient Workflow

Effective laboratory design should also consider how the average day’s workflow will commence in the laboratory. Certain lab stations shouldn’t conflict with one another. Make sure to leave room for foot traffic between stations and avoid collisions between lab workers. Traffic jams between employees can lead to spills, slips, and other lab-related injuries, but leaving ample room for movement can cut down on these accidents.

Collaborative Spaces

Another thing to consider while designing your lab for efficiency is how your lab workers will interact with one another. While you want to keep the lab open enough to avoid collisions and accidents, you should also leave areas where team members can go to collaborate. Consider leaving an additional lab station or office room for extra space where employees can work together, discuss experiment findings, and more.

When it comes to creating the perfect lab space, keep the effective laboratory design characteristics in mind. Following these design tips will help you create a safe, efficient, and collaborative lab environment for your various projects. Once you have your design down, stock your lab space by buying lab equipment online through USA Lab Equipment. You can find glassware, filters, freezers, and more for all your laboratory equipment needs.