Laboratory Safety Equipment: Types and OSHA Rules

What it is

Laboratory safety equipment is the set of engineering controls, emergency facilities and personal protective equipment (PPE) that keep chemical, fire and splash hazards from reaching people working in a lab. This page maps each class of equipment to the US OSHA text that addresses it, so lab staff and buyers can see which items a rule actually names and which are practice.

What is a safety laboratory?

OSHA’s Laboratory standard, 29 CFR 1910.1450, does not use the phrase “safety laboratory”. It defines a laboratory as a facility where the laboratory use of hazardous chemicals occurs: a workplace where relatively small quantities of hazardous chemicals are used on a non-production basis. Laboratory use requires that chemical manipulations are on a laboratory scale (containers designed to be easily and safely manipulated by one person), that multiple procedures or chemicals are used, that the work is not a production process, and that protective laboratory practices and equipment are available and in common use. Safety equipment is therefore part of the definition of a lab under this standard, not an optional extra. A lab that meets the rule’s conditions must also maintain a written Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP).

Engineering controls versus PPE

Engineering controls are built into or installed in the workspace and work without the user doing anything: fume hoods, safety showers, eyewash units, fire extinguishers and sprinklers. PPE is worn by the individual and depends on correct selection, fit and use: eye and face protection, gloves, protective clothing, respirators. The OSHA Laboratory standard treats both as parts of one plan. The CHP must include criteria for the use of engineering controls and PPE, and must require that fume hoods and other protective equipment are functioning properly, with specific measures to ensure adequate performance (1910.1450(e)(3)).

How it is built or works

The OSHA text describes construction only where it matters for the rule, so this section stays within what the rules say.

Fume hood: 1910.1450(b) defines a laboratory-type hood as a device located in a laboratory, enclosed on five sides with a moveable sash or fixed partial enclosure on the remaining side, designed to draw air into the hood away from the user, so that contaminants are prevented or minimized from escaping into the lab. The function is airflow capture; the sash position is part of how it performs.
Safety shower and eyewash: 1910.151(c) states the job rather than the design: suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body where they may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials.
Portable fire extinguisher: 1910.157 requires extinguishers to be approved, mounted, located and identified so they are readily accessible, and kept fully charged and operable (1910.157(c)). Stored-pressure units carry no internal-examination requirement.
Eye and face protection: 1910.133(b) requires devices to comply with a listed consensus standard, including ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2010 (earlier listed editions are also accepted), or to be shown by the employer to be at least as effective. Under 1910.133(a)(2) the protection must provide side protection, and detachable side shields that meet the section’s requirements are acceptable.
Hand protection: 1910.138 does not specify a glove material. It requires the employer to base selection on an evaluation of the performance characteristics of the hand protection relative to the task, the conditions present, the duration of use and the hazards identified.

Types and variants

Class	What it does	Where OSHA addresses it
Fume hood (laboratory-type hood)	Five-sided enclosure with a moveable sash that draws air from the lab to prevent or minimize escape of contaminants into the room	Defined in 1910.1450(b); function checks required through the CHP, 1910.1450(e)(3)
Safety shower and eyewash	Quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body after exposure to injurious corrosive materials	29 CFR 1910.151(c); 1910.1450 Appendix A (non-mandatory) recommends an adequate number and placement of showers, eyewash units and extinguishers
Fire extinguisher	Portable first-response fire control	29 CFR 1910.157(c): provided, accessible and approved; (e): inspection and maintenance
First aid supplies	Treatment of minor injuries until medical help arrives	29 CFR 1910.151(b): adequate first aid supplies readily available; Appendix A to 1910.151 (non-mandatory) gives a sample kit
Eye and face protection (safety glasses, goggles, face shields)	Guards against splash and impact	PPE general requirements in 29 CFR 1910.132; eye and face protection in 1910.133
Gloves and hand protection	Protects hands from chemical contact	1910.132; hand protection in 1910.138
Respirators	Protects against airborne contaminants where controls are not enough	1910.132; respiratory protection in 1910.134
Sprinkler systems	Automatic fire suppression	1910.1450 Appendix A (non-mandatory): generally safer to have sprinkler systems installed

Each row cites a section as it appears in the eCFR text mirrored by Cornell LII, read 2026-11-12. Appendix A to 1910.1450 reproduces the non-mandatory Prudent Practices recommendations, so it guides rather than binds.

What are the types of PPE used in a laboratory?

OSHA organises PPE by body part: eye and face (1910.133), hand (1910.138) and respiratory (1910.134), under the general rule in 1910.132. That general rule requires PPE to be of safe design and construction, requires the employer to assess the workplace for hazards and select suitable PPE, and requires written certification of that hazard assessment (workplace evaluated, person certifying, date, and a statement that it is a certification of hazard assessment). It also requires that defective or damaged PPE is not used, and that employees are trained.

What two pieces of safety equipment must every lab have?

No OSHA text names a fixed pair. The two clauses that come closest are 1910.151(c), which requires suitable drenching or flushing facilities where eyes or body may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, and 1910.157, which requires approved portable fire extinguishers where the employer provides them. Teaching materials often name an eyewash and an extinguisher as a shorthand; treat that as practice, and let the hazard assessment decide the actual list.

What are the basic equipment items in a laboratory?

Basic lab equipment (glassware, balances, heaters) differs from safety equipment. For the general instrument list see equipment in a medical laboratory; this page covers only the protective items above.

How to choose

Choose by the hazard, using criteria the rules state. This list does not rank products or brands.

Start with the hazard assessment. 1910.132 requires the employer to assess the workplace for hazards and select PPE accordingly, then certify that assessment in writing.
Eye and face protection: look for compliance with a consensus standard listed in 1910.133(b), such as ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2010, and for side protection. Staff who wear prescription lenses need protection that incorporates the prescription or fits over it without disturbing the lenses (1910.133(a)(3)). Filter lenses must have a shade number appropriate to the work (1910.133(a)(5)).
Gloves: 1910.138 ties selection to the task, the conditions, the duration of use and the identified hazards, including chemical burns, skin absorption, cuts and temperature extremes. The rule does not name a universal glove, so use the glove maker’s performance data for the chemical in use.
Extinguishers: 1910.157(d) bases selection and placement on the anticipated classes of fire and the size and degree of hazard. For Class A fires, an employee should not have to travel more than 75 feet to reach one; for Class B hazard areas the figure is 50 feet. Only approved extinguishers satisfy the section.
Showers and eyewash: 1910.151(c) sets no placement distance; Appendix A to 1910.1450 recommends an adequate number and placement. See the ANSI/ISEA Z358.1 note below for the benchmark many labs use.
Fume hoods: the CHP sets the criteria for when engineering controls are used and how their performance is verified (1910.1450(e)(3)).

Safe use and handling basics

Extinguishers: 1910.157(e) requires visual inspection monthly and an annual maintenance check, with a record kept for one year after the last entry or the life of the shell, whichever is less. Extinguishers must be returned to their designated spots after use and kept fully charged (1910.157(c)). Training is required under 1910.157(g): an educational program at initial employment and at least annually on general use principles and the hazards of fighting incipient-stage fires.
Fume hoods and protective equipment: the CHP must state how proper function is ensured (1910.1450(e)(3)).
PPE: hazard assessment, written certification, no use of damaged or defective items, and employee training (1910.132).
Eyewash and showers: 1910.151(c) sets no distance, flow or duration. OSHA has pointed to the ANSI/ISEA Z358.1 standard as a benchmark in interpretation letters, so many labs follow it for placement and weekly activation. That standard’s text is paywalled, so confirm figures against your copy.

Common mistakes

Treating PPE as a substitute for working engineering controls; the CHP expects both.
Skipping the written hazard-assessment certification that 1910.132 requires.
Continuing to use damaged gloves, goggles or respirators.
Assuming an unobstructed route to the shower and eyewash without checking, when the rule requires facilities for immediate emergency use.
Letting extinguisher monthly checks lapse.
Wearing eye protection without side protection, or wearing it over prescription glasses that it displaces, contrary to 1910.133(a).
Choosing gloves by habit rather than by an evaluation of the task and chemical, which 1910.138 requires.

Who uses it: lab technicians, researchers, students, lab managers and the EHS staff who write the CHP and run inspections. Related reading: lab safety rules, what are safety goggles, eyewash cups and laboratory safety inspection programmes.

FAQ

Is a fume hood required in every lab?

1910.1450 does not require a hood in every lab; it requires the CHP to cover engineering controls and to verify that hoods and other protective equipment function properly where they are used.

Is the OSHA Laboratory standard the only rule?

No. It works alongside the general industry rules cited above, and states, institutions and other countries may add requirements. This page covers US federal OSHA text only.

Do safety glasses need side shields?

Yes. 1910.133(a)(2) requires eye protection that provides side protection, and detachable side shields meeting the section’s requirements are acceptable.

Sources

29 CFR 1910.1450, Occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals in laboratories, read 2026-11-12.
29 CFR 1910.151, Medical services and first aid, read 2026-11-12.
29 CFR 1910.132, Personal protective equipment, general requirements, read 2026-11-12.
29 CFR 1910.157, Portable fire extinguishers, read 2026-11-12.
29 CFR 1910.133, Eye and face protection, read 2026-11-12.
29 CFR 1910.138, Hand protection, read 2026-11-12.