Free checklist
Laboratory fume hood quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly fume hood round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against ANSI/AIHA Z9.5 laboratory ventilation guidance, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 5
- Photos required
- 7
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The facilities or lab maintenance tech on the quarterly round, with lab staff present in the working space.
When in the schedule
Every quarter, timed with the lab's exhaust and makeup air checks since a hood only pulls if the fan and the room air balance both hold.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Sash and monitor
- 2 photos
Sash operates and marked working height clear
Sash raises, lowers and stays put, glass and cables intact, the marked working-height line present and used, no props.
- 2 photos
Face-velocity monitor reading present and not in alarm
Monitor powered and displaying a reading, no alarm or fault shown; record the value the monitor displays rather than judging it against a number.
Interior airflow
- 1 photo
Airfoil and rear baffles clear
Airfoil at the sill unobstructed, rear baffle slots open top and bottom, no spills, tape or debris covering them.
- 1 photo
No storage blocking airflow in the hood
Work surface not crowded to the baffle, equipment raised on blocks where it must sit in the hood, nothing stored against the slots.
Exhaust
- 1 photo
Exhaust fan running and drawing at the face
Exhaust fan confirmed running, draw felt or indicated at the sash opening, no reverse flow or odor spilling into the room.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Sash routinely propped above the marked working height for a tall setup, so the hood is used well outside where it was set to contain.
- Face-velocity monitor showing an alarm or a blank that staff have worked around for weeks instead of reporting it.
- Boxes and bottles crowded against the rear baffle, blocking the airflow slots the hood depends on.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 7 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this laboratory fume hood quarterly checklist cover?
- 5 items across 3 sections, covering sash and monitor, interior airflow, exhaust. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The facilities or lab maintenance tech on the quarterly round, with lab staff present in the working space.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter, timed with the lab's exhaust and makeup air checks since a hood only pulls if the fan and the room air balance both hold.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 7 of the 5 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a laboratory fume hood quarterly inspection?
- Sash routinely propped above the marked working height for a tall setup, so the hood is used well outside where it was set to contain. Face-velocity monitor showing an alarm or a blank that staff have worked around for weeks instead of reporting it. Boxes and bottles crowded against the rear baffle, blocking the airflow slots the hood depends on.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.
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