Swinging vs. Sliding Laboratory Door: Make the Regulatory Choice

Labs are the doorway to innovation. The right laboratory door marks this symbol in reality. When you are setting up a lab, or youre renovating it, then chances are you are somewhere stuck between choosing the perfect laboratory door. You wonder if the swinging door is the right option or if the sliding door just fits better to the labs entrance (or vice versa).

This post can help you come out of this doubt.

First Things First: You Need to Understand and Comply with Laboratory Door Regulations

Laboratories are places usually bearing high-risk materials along with vital and super-sensitive data. When the lab is set up, you have to comply with general regulations that ensure the safety of the people. Its assets and the environment.

However, the compliance regulations in a lab may also require the best settings and regulatory practices with equipment to protect the data and prevent it from theft or misuse. The laboratory door, thus, becomes a vital and unavoidable option to help you keep your lab safe, secured, and, therefore, regulated per official norms.

The following points might give you a better view of it. However, you need to research more to learn all the regulations according to the category of the lab and the work you do inside it.

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): According to this rule, you have to install fire-rated doors where its appropriate. Plus, you need to provide emergency exits.
• National Fire Protection Organisation (NFPO): This rule needs your lab to provide egress for protecting people and assets from fire hazards.
• American National Standards Institute (ANSI): This is where we need to make sure your laboratory door sticks to all regulations in its installation and design features.

***Point to remember: Additionally, the manager and the governing authority of the laboratory must check if the laboratory door installation and type adhere closely to the norms and codes of the building.

What Are Laboratory Door Safety Features?

Commonly, the build quality of the doors and the mechanisms they work with help them comply with the regulatory norms.

Sometimes, there are variations to these rules. For instance, you can choose between a glass sliding door or a wooden sliding door depending on the research you do inside the lab. However, these variations must not go beyond the regulations.

• Door materials: The door material must help clean off chemicals of a variety of types easily. Therefore, it must be resistant to harsh chemicals.
• Emergency Exits: As mentioned earlier, the doors must provide easy egress in case there is an emergency.
• Visibility Factors: The doors should have window panels to help people see on both sides of the door. Plus, it helps prevent collisions and other accidents.
• Security Access: Todays laboratory doors use modern security features such as smart locks and other technologically advanced access control features. The security professionals and the authorized personnel of the lab must be given these controls.

Which Laboratory Door Is the Best for You: Swinging or Sliding Doors?

Both the swinging and the sliding lab doors have their own set of advantages and disadvantages.

How can you find the right option then?

Well, you need to take into account all the purposes of the doors and their applications first. Check how closely they fit into the compliance norms or regulatory practices per your lab category and research work.

This can ensure the safety and security of your lab door, which gives you the clarity to choose it.

That said, you need to define the values and the purposes of these doors. As promised, you are going to find them below. Take a look and find out how they can help your lab be safe and protected.

The Advantages of Swinging Doors

With a swinging laboratory door, you achieve versatility. Heres what they are made for:

• This door usually comes with an airtight seal, making the lab environment safer.
• A swinging door is made to help people transfer larger and heavier equipment easily into the lab space.
• It offers a broader (more open) view of the lab.
• It is ideal when you need to move equipment and use the lab entrance more frequently.

The Advantages of Sliding Doors

When you choose a sliding lab door, you might get the advantage of installing it in tight spaces because of its compact nature. Features of this door are:

• The sliding door is good for smaller labs.
• It can be automated, which is a huge pro for a few labs.
• Its easy to clean and maintain a sliding laboratory door.
• Its compact form allows you to make more space for your lab.

Bottom Line

In summary, you can choose a swinging door if you have a larger lab space and you are exposed to frequent traffic. On the other hand, you can use the sliding door for a smaller lab space where you want to maximize lab space.

If you need quality laboratory doors (and further aid in choosing your lab door), then we might be able to help you out. Check our products and get in touch with us for more assistance.