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Lab furniture is designed to withstand the rigors of the lab environment and includes clothing dispensers, balance shields, laboratory benches, forensic cabinets, chemical cabinets, carts, and emergency showers. Stools and shelves are also common lab furniture.
Laboratories are known for the specialized equipment they contain that allow scientists to do their job. What many people don’t realize is that labs also have a great deal of furniture designed specifically for lab use. These lab furniture are designed to both withstand the rigors of the lab environment and witness the unique situations occurring around them. The exact pieces of lab furniture contained in a lab often vary depending on the lab’s specialty. Some of the different types of lab furniture include:
Clothing dispensers. These specialized holders can be found at the entrance or before the entrance to the main laboratory. They contain clean clothing such as gowns and lab coats that are meant to be worn in “clean” laboratory environments.
Balance Shields / Mini-Caps. Balance shields are transparent boxes that go over the top of the balances. They enable accurate weighing and protect samples from being disturbed by airflow and physical shock. Mini-caps are similar to balance shields, but are transparent boxes with a closable opening inside which the balance is placed.
Laboratory benches. Laboratory benches are the long tables on which experiments and tests are carried out. These workbenches are almost always resistant to the hazards common to experiments, including corrosion and heat.
Forensic cabinets. Forensic cabinets are storage units designed to hold and protect evidence and samples used in forensic investigations. They have multiple storage sections (chambers) to store individual evidence. Forensic cabinets almost always have locks on every single chamber. These cabinets can also have specialized exhausts and built-in ventilation systems.
General Cabinets. Cabinets are one of the most common storage units in a lab. These cabinets can be specialized or of the general storage variety. Short cabinets are often lined with special laminates so they can serve as laboratory benches.
Chemical cabinets. Chemical cabinets are used to store exactly what their name implies. Chemicals can be volatile or corrosive, so cabinets are usually specially designed and chosen to deal with possible complications. Chemical cabinets can be made of fireproof materials, lined with glass, connected to ventilation systems or equipped with additional protection installed inside them.
Drawer cabinet. Mobile drawer cabinets are box-like structures on wheels that contain storage space and drawers. These cabinets usually store smaller tools or heavier equipment, so they can be easily moved between workstations.
Carts. Carts are one of the most versatile pieces of furniture found in a workshop. They allow you to easily move large equipment, fragile objects or volatile substances throughout the area.
casework. Casework is a word used to describe built-in cabinets.
Closets / Coat hangers. These items are sometimes used to store clothes in a workshop. Lab coats and safety equipment can be stored in them before procedures begin, and unapproved clothing can be worn once the scientist begins work.
Drawers. Drawers are for storing small items. Many drawers are sectioned or have special inserts to protect their contents.
Extractor hood. Fume hoods are an important laboratory piece of equipment used to vent the air around experiments.
Glove dispenser. Glove dispensers keep the protective gloves that are often worn during experiments and tests. They can be loaded with the glove itself or boxes that contain gloves.
Support, Notebook and File. Sometimes logs cannot be removed from the lab. These holders are placed on the walls so that notebooks and important files can be easily stored and found.
Shelves. Simple pieces of lab equipment are often stored on shelves.
Emergency showers. Emergency showers are laboratory furniture used in case of accidents. They are available if those using the lab accidentally set themselves on fire or are exposed to dangerous chemicals. Emergency showers often set off an alarm when used.
Stools. Stools are one of the most common laboratory furniture. They allow scientists to sit while working in the lab, but usually don’t have backrests or armrests that can snag on objects and cause accidents.
