Verifying Safe State; Plasma - Agilent Technologies 5800 User Manual

Safety Practices and Hazards

Verifying Safe State

The following general safety precautions must be observed during all phases of
operation, maintenance and service of this instrument.
To ensure continued safety of the instrument after maintenance or service
procedures verify the instrument is returned to a safe state for the user. This
includes running performance checks to verify the instruments safety systems are
functioning correctly. Check the general condition of the instrument during
operation for wear or signs of corrosion that are likely to inhibit function or safety.
Failure to comply with these precautions or with specific warnings elsewhere in
this manual violates safety standards of design, manufacture, and intended use of
the instrument. Agilent Technologies assumes no liability for the customer's
failure to comply with these requirements.

Plasma

The plasma is extremely hot (about 10,000 °C) and radiates dangerous levels of
radio frequency (RF) and ultraviolet (UV) energy. The work coil operates at 1,500 V
RMS and about 27 MHz. Exposure to the RF and UV energy can cause severe skin
damage and cataracts of the eyes, while close contact with the operating plasma
can result in severe heat burns to the skin, and an electrical discharge that can
jump a considerable distance and may cause death, severe electric shock or sub-
surface skin burns.
The plasma must never be operated unless:


The shielding around the torch compartment is designed to reduce UV, visible and
RF radiation to safe levels while still permitting easy access to, as well as
installation and viewing of, the torch. The spectrometer has an interlock system
that is designed to extinguish the plasma if the mains supply fails, the handle on
the torch compartment door is opened, or the torch loading handle is open. Do not
attempt to bypass the interlock system.
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the plasma compartment door is closed, with the door handle fully closed; and
the space above the chimney and air intake is clear of objects.
Agilent 5800 and 5900 ICP-OES User's Guide