Maximizing Safety and Space Efficiency in a CRO Lab
Client: A leading CRO in Hyderabad
Focus Areas: User Safety, Space Efficiency, Energy Efficiency
Challenges
Limited Workspace
CRO labs often need to maximize available space to handle a high volume of experiments. The existing fume hoods were too compact, leading to disorganized setups and reduced researcher efficiency.
Safety Risks in Confined Spaces
Volatile chemical reactions in a tightly packed lab increased the potential for accidental spills and exposure to harmful substances. The lack of safety features heightened the risk of injuries and interruptions.
Very High Capex and Opex
All CROs have many fume hoods, and they exhaust the conditioned air. This simply increases the HVAC Capex and Opex 3 to 4 times as compared to an office space of the same size. The energy bills and thereby carbon emissions are very high for CROs.
LabGuard’s Solution: EKá Fume Hood
Space Efficiency
- 25% More Workspace: EKá offered additional workspace within the same foot-print of the fume hood, enabling the fume hood user to manage complex experiments efficiently without worrying about the tight workspace in the hood.
- Researchers could now handle multiple instruments and reagents simultaneously, improving productivity and reducing workflow bottlenecks.
- Arrangement of drawers for stationery and glassware, notepad holder, whiteboard were very useful for a fume hood user in a CRO to manage his work more efficiently in a tight space.
Advanced Safety Features
- The SmartSash™ system automatically adjusted the sash height to limit exposure to harmful chemicals, ensuring a safe working environment even in confined spaces. Coupled with the VAV system, it also reduces the exhaust volume significantly, saving atleast 20% more energy.
- EKá incorporates an airflow alarm, a fireproof inner liner, an emergency stop button, static earthing, a cable entry port, an unbreakable sash and its rope, and a built-in fire extinguisher to handle emergencies effectively.
Energy Efficiency
- Eka fume hood passes stringent ASHRAE 110:2016 fume hood tracer gas containment test at 60 fpm (0.3 m/s) face velocity; thereby reducing exhaust volume and HVAC tonnage by 30-40%. This is a huge saving for this fume hood centric CRO.
- Coupled with the VAV system, the savings increased to 40-50%, and when coupled with both VAV and SmartSash, it saves 50-60% energy.
Impact on the CRO Lab
Optimized Workspace: The additional workspace allowed researchers to organize their tools and materials efficiently, reducing clutter and streamlining their processes. This improvement contributed to a 15% increase in experiment throughput.Enhanced Safety in Tight Quarters: The advanced safety features significantly reduced incidents, creating a secure environment that allowed researchers to focus on their work without constant worry.Significant CAPEX and OPEX savings: CROs have significant energy costs. 30% to 60% reduction in capital investments and energy bills gives a significant competitive advantage to this CRO over others.Client Feedback
You have indeed fulfilled our needs. We haven’t seen these features in German and American fume hoods installed in our labs.
I feel Fume Hood looks more advanced and is very handy for Chemistry operations and maintaining a safe environment. The design was well thought out and it almost covered all the related challenges to be faced by the scientific team.
Conclusion
With a focus on maximizing workspace, ensuring safety and achieving energy efficiency; LabGuard’s EKá fume hood delivered exceptional value to the CRO. By addressing these three critical factors, EKá improved operational efficiency and researcher confidence, setting new standards for performance and safety in modern labs.
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