Additional Risks Of Xenon Lamps - Horiba Scientific FluoroMax-4 Operation Manual

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FluoroMax -4 & FluoroMax -4P with USB rev. D (30 Jul 2012)

Additional risks of xenon lamps

Among the dangers associated with xenon lamps
are:
Burns caused by contact with a hot xenon lamp.
Fire ignited by hot xenon lamp.
Interaction of other nearby chemicals with intense ultraviolet, visible, or infrared
radiation.
Damage caused to apparatus placed close to the xenon lamp.
Explosion or mechanical failure of the xenon lamp.
Visible radiation
Any very bright visible light source will cause a human aversion response: we either
blink or turn our head away. Although we may see a retinal afterimage (which can last
for several minutes), the aversion response time (about 0.25 seconds) normally protects
our vision. This aversion response should be trusted and obeyed. NEVER STARE AT
ANY BRIGHT LIGHT-SOURCE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD. Overriding the
aversion response by forcing yourself to look at a bright light-source may result in per-
manent injury to the retina. This type of injury can occur during a single prolonged ex-
posure. Excessive exposure to visible light can result in skin and eye damage.
Visible light sources that are not bright enough to cause retinal burns are not necessari-
ly safe to view for an extended period. In fact, any sufficiently bright visible light
source viewed for an extended period will eventually cause degradation of both night
and color vision. Appropriate protective filters are needed for any light source that
causes viewing discomfort when viewed for an extended period of time. For these rea-
sons, prolonged viewing of bright light sources should be limited by the use of appro-
priate filters.
The blue-light wavelengths (400–500 nm) present a unique hazard to the retina by
causing photochemical effects similar to those found in UV-radiation exposure.
Infrared radiation
Infrared (or heat) radiation is defined as having a wavelength between 780 nm and 1
mm. Specific biological effectiveness "bands" have been defined by the CIE (Commis-
sion Internationale de l'Eclairage or International Commission on Illumination) as fol-
lows:
• IR-A (near IR) (780–1400 nm)
• IR-B (mid IR) (1400–3000 nm)
• IR-C (far IR) (3000 nm–1 mm)
Warning:
are dangerous.
Please read the fol-
lowing precautions.
0-9
Introduction
Xenon lamps