Safety is increasingly on the radar of laboratories. An October 2011 Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board report recommended new hazard evaluation guides and safety bulletins for labs. A company whose products are dedicated to the safe handling of hazardous liquids is SCAT Europe.

Based in Mörfelden, Germany, SCAT Europe was founded in 2003 to offer lab workers protection from hazardous solvents. That year, a German chemical company requested a safety plan from SCAT. “To avoid large investments for structural alteration measures, SCAT developed safety closures to catch emissions and harmful substances directly at their container,” said Jan Rittgasser, project manager, Marketing. “At this time, we began thinking about sustainable laboratory concepts and have extended our product portfolio from year to year.” SCAT has nine employees and about 40 global distributors.

SCAT Europe has five major product groups: fire-resistant SafetyCaps to prevent solvent leakage; safety funnels; accessories like fire-resistant adapters, valves, drain trays and exhaust filters; fire-resistant SafetyWasteCaps, which, when used with the company’s safety funnels and exhaust filters, work as a closed system that prevent the evaporation of substances when disposing of fluid waste; and sensors and containers for monitoring fluid levels to prevent overflow. The company’s most popular product is the SafetyCap. The caps seal supply containers so that when an HPLC pump stops, the container closes immediately and the air valve locks in vapors. SafetyCaps have a fire-extinguishing component with a special plastic that, in the event of a fire, forms a coating that acts as a barrier to prevent the fire from spreading.

Most SCAT customers opt to combine the products to create individual systems. “This is one of the main advantages of our modular concept,” said Mr. Rittgasser. “Today’s consumables and accessories even fit the very first basic products from 2003, and they will also run well with future developments.” He believes the emphasis on sustainability is a key part of the company’s success. “Using a 10-year-old SCAT product means [the customer will have] suitable accessories and consumables today and in the future,” he said.

When asked about shifting attitudes toward lab safety, Mr. Rittgasser explained, “Key words like sustainability are used in discussions on lab safety, but the customer teaches us what this really means: he does not want only quality and cost advantages. He wants to rely on a product for longer terms, and fast, profit-oriented developments will not satisfy his needs.” One aspect of sustainability is the reduction of waste. For example, according to the company, SafetyCaps prevent evaporation, saving up to 30% of solvent and limiting exposure to hazardous substances.

SCAT Europe plans to expand into new regions. “The major challenge of the future is to create awareness of health and environmental protection in those countries where workplace safety is not such an important object yet,” explained Mr. Rittgasser. “Improving the working conditions and environmental awareness of employees working with hazardous chemicals is one of our core obligations.”