Safety Meets Sustainability

1. Safety Meets Sustainability Rob Klein, MS, CIH Environmental Health & Safety Yale University New Haven, CT Making Universities Sustainable Copenhagen, Denmark 23 October 2014

2. Partnerships at Yale • Sustainability • Facilities / Utilities / Systems Engineering • Purchasing and Procurement • Yale Animal Research Center • Lab Managers & Researchers • Environmental Health & Safety

3. Modern Laboratories • Protect research materials and people • Highly engineering for odor control, comfort, and safety • High flux of supplies, materials, and hazardous wastes • Trend towards disposal products • Primarily 100% exhaust air • Energy-intensive • All labs are not =

4. 1 Includes surgical path lab services, autopsy, and gross anatomy

5. Laboratory Footprint at Yale !!!

6. Energy Consumption in Yale Labs (US$ 32 M/year) Chilled water 41% Steam 31% Electricity 10% Vs. US$ 2M/year regulated waste disposal

7. Historical Tension Areas • General lab room ventilation • Fume hood flow rates • Recycling chemical containers • Excess protective equipment use in animal research • Freezer and contents management

8. Obstacles to Change • “We’ve always done it this way” • Requirements from regulatory agencies and accrediting organizations • Over-designed systems • Changes in research – reagents, equipment • Indirect costs externalize involvement • Funding rules that limit “sharing” and encourage over-buying (“use it or lose it”)

9. General Laboratory Ventilation • Background: • Control emissions, reduce odors, and clear spills • Tension: • 100% exhaust of conditioned lab air, historically at rates of 4-12 or more ACH; even higher in animal facilities • Safety concerns: • Older epidemiological data suggest higher incidence of disease among chemists and other lab workers • Air flows too low will result in exposures

10. … in a Perfectly Mixed Room C = C oe-n

11. Benchtop Work (x 6) “fugitive emissions” Small Spills

12. Original Supply Air Diffusers New Radial Style Supply Air Diffusers

13. Spills – Duct MeasurementsOriginal 6 Supply Air Diffusers

14. Spills – Duct MeasurementsOriginal But Only 3 Supply Air Diffusers

15. Spills – Duct Measurements3 New Style Supply Air Diffusers

17. Supply Air Diffuser EffectsSpills (Duct Measurements) • Observations: • Higher [peak]’s • Faster clearance

18. CFD Modeling - Residual Contamination(benchtop emission model, time = 70 min, 6 ACH) 6 original supply air diffusers 3 new supply air diffusers

19. Empirical Conclusions • Higher ACH → lower concentrations, faster clearance • Greatest improvement from ~ 4 - 6 ACH • But diminishing returns ≥ 8 ACH • Reducing number and style of SA diffusers provides functional equivalent of 2 – 4 additional ACH vs. original room HVAC design • Must consider original HVAC system design before lowering ventilation rates • Be aware of the limitations of demand control systems

20. Very Serious Cost Savings • @ US$ 8 / CFM exhaust / year (average): • 1 ACH reduction ~ $1,400 / yr test lab alone • $116,000 / yr this bldg alone • $1.95 M / yr entire campus • With proper room HVAC design, we now accept 6 ACH, less in unoccupied labs Shameless self-promotion: 2 articles in J Chemical Health & Safety – Klein, King, and Kosior

21. Some Other Successes

22. Conclusions and Advice • Data-driven • Dialogue, communication, and teamwork • Open mind and willingness to consider change

23. Questions?