States that regardless of the nature of the hazards(chemical or biological) contained in a laboratory, the engineers and operations personnel responsible for laboratory design, construction and maintenance can benefit from using process hazard analysis (PHA) techniques, as authored by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Points out that although not intended to be used as a design tool, PHA offers designers a systematic approach to engineering for safety. Reviews the PHA requirements, offers ideas for applying them to HVAC system design and operation and relates the benefits of their use.