​Lab designing can be complicated as they are totally different from office or kitchen designing. In order for companies to stay competitive, many companies claim to have design experience, which user subsequently found out are not related to lab design.
For companies with labs, this can be costly.  Many companies make poor choices to save money and don’t plan ahead.  This usually means additional costs and safety issues.

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Below are common mistakes in lab design:

Choose a Wrong Lab Designer / Contractor

Many companies think that they can save money by choosing cheaper designer / contractor. The chosen designer shall have a good reputation in the market with repeating project from the same client. As after sales services is important for lab set-up, a chosen designer shall have the experience in engineering and lab application, as this is crucial for lab functionality and safety in lab. In lab design, the designer has to carefully calculate the electrical power to prevent overcurrent, designing right ventilation to have the right air balance, with right amount of lighting as lab user need to work in perfect lab condition to ensure zero mistake when carrying lab works. 

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Choose a Cheap Lab Furniture or Fume hood
Buying cheap products, such as lab benches, lab tables, fume hoods are risky.
Cheap import products may end up costing you more in the long run.
Often, these products have limited or no warranties, have quality and safety issues, and can be difficult to get replacement parts for. It is not uncommon for additional money to be spent after these purchases are made because of repairs that are needed, replacement for failure or having to renovate the lab because something doesn’t work right.  
Lab vendor will try to provide the cheaper lab furniture system by proposing less storage cabinetry. This will be a big problem later on in lab as storage are crucial in lab setting.
A cheap fume hood usually do not comply to any safety regulation. Using the fume hood with ANSI/ASHRAE 110-1995 or BS 7258 Parts 1-4 standards is always the best for lab user safety.

Design With No Flexibility In Mind
Laboratory is a very dynamic workplace lab continuing advancement and addition of new instruments, equipment, and robotics in lab environments. This happen as most of the advance equipment keep on changing.
Many companies do not build flexibility and adaptability to change into their lab designs. They purchase cheaper traditional fixed cabinetry and then later on pay the price as things change. Then, they are either stuck with a design that is no longer functional for their work or have to spend more money on a redesign.
Forward-thinking companies design with flexibility system in mind. In addition, multiple configurations are part of the initial design process for implementation as things change in the future. This new lab design trend of built-in flexibility saves time and money over the long term.

 

Neglect To Incorporate Ergonomics

Designing lab need to look into ergonomics seriously. Many lab designers only focus on the cost yet neglect the ergonomics. In lab, the furniture needs to be designed to support the equipment and yet must have the user ergonomics in mind. 
User spend hours on the furniture and many companies thinking that if they buy an ergonomic chair that they have done their part. But it is more than this.
Incorporating ergonomics means looking at the overall picture of how your employees do their work, the quality of their seating, the location of the tools and the movements that go into their workday.
 

Neglect safety 

Safety should be the top priority in any lab, and proper safety starts with a good lab design. Since most lab accidents are a result of human error, lab design won’t be able to eliminate risk, but it can significantly reduce it. Common lab hazards include electrical issues, fires, and chemical leaks. Due to the seriousness of these risks, it’s important that lab personnel can evacuate the facility quickly in the case of an emergency. As such, aisles should be wide enough for workers to pass by easily without bumping into each other or equipment. Besides wide walkway, the designer shall not design lab with dead end or maze layout.
In addition, labs should also include safety features such as eyewash stations, chemical fume hoods, safety showers, fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, and fire blankets. When designing the layout of your lab, be sure to account for these items so that your lab can be as safe as possible. You’ll likely notice an increase in productivity as potential safety issues won’t distract your staff and allow them to focus.

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