Nanotechnology Environmental Health and Safety

CHAPTER 8 A Case Study of a Nanoscale-Research Facility Safety through Design and Operation

John R. Weaver

Contents

• The Birck Nanotechnology Center Facility

• Safety Considerations

• Designing in Safety

• Designing in Safety-Key Examples

• Summary

This chapter presents a philosophy and methodology for designing safety into nanotechnology facilities, using Birck Nanotechnology Center (BNC) at Purdue University as a case study. While the actual designs described are specific to the BNC, they can be easily translated into a wide variety of nanotechnology facilities. The principles employed are universal and therefore directly applicable to the design of these facilities.

When considering nanotechnology safety, the initial thoughts ...