Air Science Technologies develops special dye staining bench for police
Air Science Technologies, a specialist designer and manufacturer of fume containment systems, has produced and installed a specially developed dye staining bench for use in the fingerprint laboratory at Merseyside Police headquarters in Liverpool, UK.
The 3.5 metre wide bench features a polypropylene sink and a storage tank which contains ethanol-based dyes used for fingerprint enhancement. The unit's principal function is to provide effective air containment – minimising the release of chemical fumes into the laboratory while work is in progress and while treated items are drying out. Air is drawn into the unit from front to back, over the sink, and then vented through an advanced air filtration system that removes airborne chemicals and particulate matter. Merseyside Police specifically requested that the unit be fitted with the least possible disruption to working routines within the laboratory, meaning that it had to feature a self-contained air filtration unit that would not require the installation of air extraction systems or ducting. Working to this specification, Air Science designed a fully equipped dye staining bench that was tailored specifically to the dimensions of the room, optimising the capacity of the unit while ensuring that the highest possible safety standards would be maintained. The bench also incorporates a continuous air velocity monitoring system, audio and visual filter alarms and an integral test port that enables manual filter monitoring. It has a chemical resistant polypropylene superstructure and is fitted with a pre-filter that ensures that all switches and electrical components are isolated from any contamination.