Safety Practices and Hazards
10 Agilent 5100 and 5110 ICP-OES Site Preparation Guide
Plasma
The plasma is extremely hot (about 7,500 °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 plasma compartment door is closed, with the locking lever
fully latched; and
the space above the chimney and air intake is clear of objects.
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 either 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.
Before opening the torch compartment door, always extinguish the
plasma by pressing SHIFT + F5 on the keyboard or by clicking the
‘Plasma Off’ icon on the ICP Expert software toolbar.
The torch and its surroundings remain hot for up to five minutes
after the plasma is extinguished. Touching this area before it has
cooled sufficiently may result in burns. Allow the torch and torch
compartment to cool before carrying out any work in this area, or
wear heat-resistant gloves.
The plasma system has been carefully designed to operate safely and
effectively when using torches and related components that conform
to Agilent’s design criteria. Use of non-approved components in the
plasma compartment may render the system inoperative and/or
hazardous. It may also invalidate the warranty on the instrument.
Use only torches and related components supplied or authorized by
Agilent.
To Next Page
Loading...
Need help?
General
