When it comes to fitting out or upgrading a laboratory in the UK, one of the most critical decisions you'll face is selecting the right laboratory furniture. Not only does the right furniture enhance the functionality and efficiency of your lab, but it also ensures safety, durability, and compliance.
Why quality laboratory furniture matters
Laboratory furniture provides the foundation of a lab. Whether you're in a research facility, educational institution, or industrial setting, the furniture you choose will directly influence your workflow, safety, and even the lifespan of your equipment. Here’s why investing in quality laboratory furniture is essential:
- Safety: Labs often handle hazardous materials, and the furniture must be designed to withstand exposure to chemicals, heat, and other potentially dangerous elements. Discussing the chemicals you intend to use and the conditions your furniture will be subjected to with your manufacturer is important to providing the right solution for your space.
- Durability: Laboratory furniture should be made of materials that resist wear and tear, ensuring a long lifespan even under rigorous use in high-demand environments.
- Efficiency: Ergonomically designed furniture can significantly improve workflow, reducing fatigue and increasing productivity, which is vital in research environments.
- Compliance: UK labs are subject to strict regulations, including those from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and other governing bodies. High-quality furniture helps ensure compliance with these safety and industry standards.
What should you consider when choosing laboratory furniture?
When selecting laboratory furniture for your UK-based lab, several factors should guide your decision-making process:
- Material: The material of the furniture is crucial. Common materials in UK laboraties include epoxy and phenolic resin, along with melamine, each with its own advantages. Stainless steel is less common in UK laboratories for worksurfaces, but is common for sink bowls and drainers. Epoxy resin is also excellent for chemical resistant laboratory sinks, while phenolic resin based worksurfaces such as Trespa's Toplab or Fundermax Max Resistance offer both durability and chemical resistance.
- Customisation: Every lab has unique needs. Your laboratory furniture manufacturer should be able to design and manufacture to fit your specific requirements, whether it’s adjustable shelving, modular workstations, or specialised storage units tailored for your laboratory.
- Ergonomics: Consider the comfort and safety of lab technicians. Ergonomically designed furniture, with careful considerations to the movement of staff around the lab and their use of the installation, helps reduce strain and injury, promoting a healthier work environment, a key consideration under health and safety guidelines.
- Space Utilisation: Efficient use of space is critical in a lab. Choose furniture that maximises your available space while providing ample storage and work surfaces, especially in compact lab environments.
- Budget: While it’s tempting to cut costs, investing in high-quality furniture pays off in the long run through increased durability and reduced maintenance costs, making it a cost-effective choice. Choosing an established laboratory specific UK manufacturer also means rapid access to spare parts and repairs, should the worst occur. ALS Labs Ltd hold the CAD drawings and machining data for every panel of every laboratory we produce, allowing us to rapidly provide matching furniture or replace damaged cabinetry.
Types of laboratory furniture
There’s a wide variety of laboratory furniture available, each the right choice for differing purposes and environments. Here are some of the most common types:
- Laboratory Workbenches: The cornerstone of any lab, workbenches provide the primary workspace for experiments and research. Look for benches that offer chemical resistance, sturdy construction, and ample workspace. These benches can be mobile, with braked castors permitting end users flexibility in their lab, freestanding, or fitted to the wall.
- Laboratory Cabinets: Storage is vital in a lab to keep materials organised and accessible. Cabinets should be durable, resistant where required, and should factor in safety standards such as fire resistance. ALS manufacture all of our lab cabinets to order, in the UK.
- Fume Hoods & Extraction Arms - LEV: These are essential for laboratories that deal with harmful chemicals. Fume hoods and cupboards protect users by ventilating toxic or corrosive fumes, ensuring a safer work environment in line with COSHH regulations. Proper ventilation of storage cabinets used for corrosive fume releasing chemicals is vital for ensuring your furniture lasts.
- Shelving Units: Proper shelving helps keep your lab organised. Choose shelving that can withstand the weight and nature of the stored materials, using materials fit for laboratory use, including Trespa shelving.
- Stools and Chairs: Ergonomic stools and chairs are crucial for comfort during extended periods of work. They should be adjustable and easy to clean, ensuring your staff can put out their best work for longer.
The benefits of modular laboratory furniture
Modular laboratory furniture is gaining popularity in the UK due to its flexibility and adaptability, but you should make sure it suits your use case. Modular systems allow labs to reconfigure their layout easily, which is particularly beneficial in environments where research needs and equipment frequently change. The benefits of modular furniture include:
- Flexibility: Easily reconfigure your lab space as needs evolve.
- Scalability: Add or remove modules without having to replace entire systems. This also extends to manufacture and procurement; often, economies of scale come into play in larger installations reducing costs when using repeatable parts, providing better value in your fitout.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Only purchase the furniture components you need, with the option to expand later, making it an economical choice for UK labs.
- BIM Compatibility: With BIM (Building Information Modelling) carrying increasing importance in the UK construction industry, modular furniture significantly simplifies the design process. ALS Labs Ltd can provide BIM families early in the design process, permitting detailed integration of laboratory services including gases to the point of use, and detailed clash detection to ensure a smooth interface between MEP and FF&E before installation.
Our FlexModular system is a true service integrated modular system, making the most efficient possible use of your laboratory space, and concealing unsightly plumbing whilst permitting easy access for maintenance. Installed at the University of Glasgow's Advanced Research Centre and designed in conjunction with international achitects HOK, this project involved the use of Navisworks to carry out detailed analysis of potential clashes with MEP contractor FES's works, saving valuable time on site and contributing to main contractors Multiplex delivering the almost £300m project in 2022.
Maintenance and care of laboratory furniture
To ensure the longevity and performance of your laboratory furniture, proper maintenance is essential:
- Regular Cleaning: Use appropriate cleaning agents that won’t damage the furniture’s material. For chemical-resistant surfaces, ensure the cleaning agent is compatible and safe under UK COSHH regulations. Your manufacturer should provide this information at handover.
- Routine Inspections: Periodically check for any signs of wear and tear, such as corrosion, rust, or damage to surfaces and joints, particularly on steel bench support frames. A good powdercoat should prevent this; we work with a reputable local firm and carry out detailed quality checks.
- Prompt Repairs: Address any damage immediately to prevent it from escalating and to maintain safety standards. Your manufacturer should be able to provide rapid, identical supply of spare parts and new cabinetry to rectify any damages resulting from typical wear and tear within your laboratory.
