Hello spinlanders,
While we are on the subject of magnet safety, has anyone put together a
postable set of guidelines regarding asphyxiation danger following a
quench? While a quench is most likely during magnet servicing, a totally
unexpected quench will probably be dealt with by those least qualified to
do so. I am very aware that our only quench -- involving an unauthorized
user working alone on a Sunday morning using a rolling chair as a
stepladder -- could well have resulted in a fatality.
A decade ago most 500 MHz spectrometers were carefully guarded treasures
accessible to only a few well-trained individuals. I suspect that a
rapidly increasing number of these have become walk-on workhorses for large
numbers of marginally-trained users, with an increasing potential for
serious accidents. Of course warnings only work if read and heeded, but
posting the dangers increases the probability that a responding individual
or emergency personnel will be aware of the danger.
Kenner
Kenner Christensen
Chemistry Department NMR Facility
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona 85721
(520) 621-2308
Somos pocos, pero estamos locos
Received on Fri May 24 2002 - 15:20:02 MST