History behind Lab Exhaust
The founder and principal of Laboratory Exhaust Certification, LLC is Victor Neuman.
From 1989 to 1999, Victor had a technical and business relationship with Strobic Air in the development and application of their Tri-Stack laboratory exhaust fans. He was their direct employee from 1997 to 1999 as the second highest management person at Strobic Air working under the founder, Lee Secrest. This solidified his knowledge and interest in safe laboratory exhaust that had already begun in 1983.
In 1983, Victor Neuman, PE, became a senior mechanical engineer with the lab planning firm of Earl Walls Associates. His first ventilation design Project was the final floor of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California. He subsequently performed mechanical design for over 100 laboratory buildings while at Earl Walls Associates. Two of the designs he was teamed on were awarded Laboratory of the Year.
In 1988, he became one of the coauthors of the ANSI Standard Z9.5 "Laboratory Ventilation”. He has continued to be a co-author of Z9.5 to the present time. For this standard, he was the prime author of the section on laboratory exhaust stacks. He is and has long been a corresponding member of ASHRAE TC 4.3 which oversees the ASHRAE Handbook Section on Airflow Around Buildings. He was the founding ViceChairman for ASHRAE Technical Committee on Laboratories 9.10 and has been a coauthor of the Laboratories Chapter of the ASHRAE Handbook. The bibliography of this chapter has listed as many as six of Victor´s technical papers on laboratory exhaust simultaneously. Victor is the recipient of the ASHRAE Distinguished Service Award for his work in laboratory ventilation and has also received an award for Laboratory Safety from the American Industrial Hygiene Association.
In 1978, Victor worked as a researcher with the US Navy on external flows simulated in a wáter tunnel over torpedos. He also conducted research and received a postgraduate degree from the University of Cambridge in one of their wind tunnels. His Master´s Degree from San Diego State University was in simulating the supply and exhaust flow from networks of variable volumen fume hoods. Victor was also chosen as a member and served on theAd Hoc Advisory Committee to California OSHA for their fume Hood standard and at his request they mandated mechanical and electrical fume Hood alarms for the first time. Victor has made many technical presentations to the DOE, EPA, State of California and others and has many technical papers and articles to his credit.
Victor formed Laboratory Exhaust Certification LLC to focus a spotlight on the need to pay more careful attention to the design of fume hood exhaust stacks.