Our safety committee is on my case about installing an oxygen sensor in one
of our NMR labs. I've read up on some articles which appeared in 94/95 in
the ammrl and it would seem that in a well ventilated lab, a sensor is not
required . In my case, we are in a poorly ventilated basement location,
with two spectrometers, a 200 wb and a 400 nb. To compound the problem, our
fire department insists that our storage vessels be kept in the lab rather
than the corridor. It's the presence of these vessels as well as the helium
and nitrogen gas cylinders in the lab (4 in total) that seem to be the
biggest concern. Are many you worried abou this issue and could I please
have some recommendations about what to purchase? The safety committee has
agreed to bow to your judgement.
On another issue, halon fire conditioners have been banned here in Canada
(or so our university fire department says). I have the lab fitted with dry
chemical extinguishers but I figure if we ever use them, the spectrometers
will be destroyed. On the other hand I don't feel that CO2 extinguishers
are all that effective. Anyone have any advice for me?
Thanks a lot
Valerie
Valerie Robinson
Department of Chemistry
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario
N1G2W1
Phone: 519-824-4120 ext.8914
Fax: 519-766-1499