American National Standards Institute / American Industrial Hygiene Association
ANSI/AIHA Z9.5 (laboratory ventilation)
ANSI/AIHA Z9.5 covers how a laboratory is ventilated and how its fume hoods are meant to perform: the airflow that keeps contaminants out of the breathing zone, the way a hood is operated, and the monitoring that tells an occupant it is working. On a walk it shows up as the questions asked at a hood face and at the exhaust it feeds.
Adoption varies by jurisdiction. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction enforces before you run a walk against it.
What it covers
- Containment performance at the hood face, verified against the hood's airflow monitor rather than by eye
- Sash operation and working height, and the alarms that flag a sash left open too far
- Airflow monitors and low-flow alarms at each hood
- Exhaust routing and discharge that keeps captured air from re-entering the building
- Make-up air and room pressurization that let the hoods pull what they are rated to pull
- Annual certification of each hood, performed and signed by the certifier
What the evidence looks like
- Observe and photograph the hood's own airflow monitor reading rather than inventing a face-velocity number; the monitor and the certification tell the story RTI never certifies itself.
- Sash position photographed as found, with any low-sash alarm state captured in the same frame.
- Airflow monitor and alarm shown functioning, not just present, with the indication legible.
- Exhaust path documented from hood to discharge so nothing dumps back near an intake.
- The current certification sticker photographed at the hood, dated and attributed to the certifier who signed it.
Checklists that verify work against ANSI/AIHA Z9.5 (laboratory ventilation)
2 free checklists, each with the photo every item needs before it can be submitted.
Laboratory fume hood QuarterlyLaboratory fume hood quarterly maintenance checklistSash, monitor reading, baffles, storage and exhaust run walked on the quarterly round5 items7 photosLaboratory fume hood AnnualLaboratory fume hood annual maintenance checklistAnnual face-velocity and containment certification observed and recorded alongside the certifier5 items6 photos
Common questions
- What is ANSI/AIHA Z9.5 (laboratory ventilation)?
- Laboratory ventilation and fume hoods: containment, sash operation, monitoring and exhaust. It is published by the American National Standards Institute / American Industrial Hygiene Association. ANSI/AIHA Z9.5 covers how a laboratory is ventilated and how its fume hoods are meant to perform: the airflow that keeps contaminants out of the breathing zone, the way a hood is operated, and the monitoring that tells an occupant it is working. On a walk it shows up as the questions asked at a hood face and at the exhaust it feeds.
- What does ANSI/AIHA Z9.5 (laboratory ventilation) cover?
- Containment performance at the hood face, verified against the hood's airflow monitor rather than by eye; Sash operation and working height, and the alarms that flag a sash left open too far; Airflow monitors and low-flow alarms at each hood; Exhaust routing and discharge that keeps captured air from re-entering the building; Make-up air and room pressurization that let the hoods pull what they are rated to pull; Annual certification of each hood, performed and signed by the certifier.
- What does a field inspection against ANSI/AIHA Z9.5 (laboratory ventilation) look at?
- Observe and photograph the hood's own airflow monitor reading rather than inventing a face-velocity number; the monitor and the certification tell the story RTI never certifies itself. Sash position photographed as found, with any low-sash alarm state captured in the same frame. Airflow monitor and alarm shown functioning, not just present, with the indication legible. Exhaust path documented from hood to discharge so nothing dumps back near an intake. The current certification sticker photographed at the hood, dated and attributed to the certifier who signed it.
- Which edition of ANSI/AIHA Z9.5 (laboratory ventilation) applies to my project?
- Adoption varies by jurisdiction. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction enforces before you run a walk against it.
- Which checklists verify work against ANSI/AIHA Z9.5 (laboratory ventilation)?
- 2 free checklists in the RTI library reference this family. Each is listed on this page with the photo evidence every item needs before it can be submitted.
A standard is only met if the evidence exists
RTI holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and the photos are attached, then chains the record so it can be proven untouched later.