PerkinElmer Raman Flex 400 Series, Getting Started Manual

Page: 19 / 74

Safety Practices . 19
Class 3B Safety Precautions
You should follow Class 3B laser safety precautions such as the use of door interlocks and
the wearing of laser safety goggles. For information on these precautions refer to an
appropriately trained laser safety officer within your own facility. Laser safety is very
important. Inappropriate use of laser emitting devices may result in permanent injury. In the
United States the precautions are described in the ANSI Z136.1-2000 Standard. For
information on the ANSI Z136 standard please consult your laser safety officer and/or consult
http://www.z136.org.
Outside the United States the guidelines are described in PD IEC TR 60825-14 (Safety of
laser products – Part 14: A user’s guide). You should also be familiar with the guidelines
published by the national authorities in your country.
NOTE: In certain circumstances when the probe is permanently fixed in a closed
environment, for example inside a sealed reaction vessel, the device can be defined
as Class 1. Please refer to an appropriately trained laser safety officer within
your own facility.
The following information is provided as a general overview. This information is rudimentary
and is supplied to assist in the interpretation of this manual. Under no circumstances use this
information as the basis of a laser safety code of behavior:
1. Class 3B lasers may emit visible and/or invisible radiation up to a maximum of 0.5 W
continuous wave (CW is longer than 0.25 s). They present a hazard to the eye if the
direct beam or spectral reflections are viewed without appropriate protection. You must
only operate Class 3B lasers in a designated area.
2. You must fit each Class 3B device with a captive key control switch, such that the key
cannot be removed from the lock except in the OFF position. The key should be
removed from the laser when it is not in use and kept in a safe place in the custody of a
nominated person. Keys must never be issued to unauthorized persons.
3. Each Class 3B device should be assessed by a suitably trained laser safety officer to
determine the accessible radiation emitted by the device. The laser safety officer should
consider laser power, wavelength and beam divergence when determining if the
Class 3B device’s remote interlock connector should be connected to an interlock switch
at the entrance. For certain laser systems the laser safety officer may require this
shutter to be interlocked with the laboratory entrance to prevent inadvertent exposure
of persons entering to very hazardous laser radiation.
4. Rooms in which Class 3B devices are used should have notices affixed to the doors so
that they conform to the requirements of appropriate Laser Safety Regulations.
If you have a fiber optic probe then please refer to
Attaching External Interlock
on page 40
and
Fiber Optic Probe Safety
on page 20 for information on safe operating distances when
using the fiber optic probe.
General Laser Safety Issues
Laser Keyswitch
There is a captive laser key control switch on the front panel of the spectrometer. This key is
required to operate the laser. A laser safety officer or laboratory manager should control the
use of this key.