This document outlines 10 common mistakes made when using powders weighing hoods. These include failing to turn the hood on, having improper airflow rates, placing the hood in a location with cross-drafts, not following good laboratory practices like bringing personal items or food into the hood, misunderstanding the necessary level of containment, neglecting proper personal protective equipment, moving hands or arms too quickly in the hood, removing contaminated gloves from the hood before finishing a task, dragging hands across surfaces, and failing to clean clutter and residues from the hood after use. Following good techniques can help avoid potential personnel exposure and surface contamination.

1. 10 Common Mistakes when
using Powders Weighing
Hoods
or,
quit
leaving
crap
on
my
lab
bench!

2. Within
the
research,
biotechnology,
and
pharmaceu6cal
industries;
the
powders
weighing
hood
is
a
commonly
used
device
when
handling
highly
potent
ac6ve
pharmaceu6cal
ingredients.
Unfortunately,
a
lack
of
specific
training
or
instruc6on
leads
to
common
mistakes
that
o?en
create
personnel
exposure
or
surface
contamina6on
situa6ons.

3. 1. Not turning on the hood
While
this
sounds
pre9y
basic,
you
would
be
surprised
as
to
how
o;en
this
occurs.
Always
verify
the
hood
is
opera?ng.
Simply
holding
a
kim-­‐
wipe
at
the
face
opening
can
verify
an
inward
flow
of
air.

4. 2. Improper flow rates – not certified
Cer?fica?on
ensures
the
hood
has
been
checked
and
set
to
the
proper
opera?ng
face
velocity.
Since
powders
weighing
hoods
are
designed
different
than
tradi?onal
laboratory
hoods,
you
should
check
with
the
manufacturers
specifica?ons
for
the
proper
flow
rate.

5. 3. Improper placement of
hood – cross-drafts,
shearing.

6. 4. Not using good laboratory practices
Good
Laboratory
Prac?ces
ensures
you
handle
potent
compounds
in
a
safe
manner
that
protects
not
only
yourself
but
also
others.
Personal
items
such
as
mobile
phones,
drinks,
or
food
should
never
be
placed
in
or
near
powders
weighing
enclosures.

7. 5. Not understanding what the proper
level of containment is needed
In
order
to
fully
understand
the
proper
level
of
containment
needed,
you
must
either
know
the
occupa?onal
exposure
limit
for
the
specific
ac?ve
pharmaceu?cal
ingredient
or
the
control
band
assignment.
Once
you
know
either
of
those
items,
then
a
proper
risk
assessment
can
be
performed.
You
should
also
perform
surrogate
monitoring
to
gain
an
understanding
of
the
specific
control
capabili?es
of
the
equipment,
once
it
is
in
your
facility,
and
using
your
personnel.

8. 6. Not wearing proper PPE
Always
wear
your
lab
coat,
gloves,
disposable
sleeve
covers,
and
safety
glasses.
Depending
on
the
potency
of
the
specific
compound,
addi?onal
PPE
may
be
required
addi?onal
respiratory
protec?on.

9. 7. Rapid hand movement
Moving
arms
and
hands
quickly
within
the
hood
can
cause
changes
in
the
laminar
airflow
created
within
the
hood.
Always
move
slowly
to
prevent
the
subtle
changes.

10. 8. Hands in and out of hood
Once
gloved
hands
contact
the
powder,
your
hands
must
remain
within
the
hood
un?l
the
task
is
complete.
Never
remove
gloved
hands
from
the
hood
with
powder
on
them.
Always
have
a
preplanned
procedure
to
dispose
of
waste
within
the
hood
either
through
a
waste
port
or
some
type
of
receptacle
in
the
hood.

11. 9. Dragging hands across work
surface
Don’t
touch
the
work
surface
once
the
task
has
begun.
It
is
possible
to
come
in
contact
with
residual
powders
if
the
prior
user
did
not
clean
the
hood
properly.

12. 10. Cluttering up the workspace and
not cleaning afterwards
Place
everything
you
will
need
in
the
hood
to
complete
the
task.
Addi?onal
items
not
relevant
to
the
current
task
take
up
space.
Prior
to
removal
from
the
hood,
all
items
must
be
thoroughly
cleaned.
This
includes
wiping
down
a
scale
or
any
other
equipment.
Depending
upon
the
proper?es
of
the
specific
compound,
a
long-­‐UV
black
light
will
help
iden?fy
deficiencies
in
cleaning
prac?ces.

13. Contact
Affygility
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affygility.com/podcasts
or
go
to
iTunes
and
search
for
“Biopharma
EHS
pburke@affygility.com
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