Dear Ammrl:
Many thanks to Ammrl, especially to Sebastian Kemper, Jerry Hirschinger, Joseph Asta, Genevieve Seabrook, Gerd Gemmecker, Rainer Wechselberger, Erika Davis, Glyn Williams, Dave Russell, Ryan McKay, Sameer Al-Abdul-Wahid, Geoffrey Akien, Andrew Lewis, Joseph Dumais, Bredan Duggan, Darcy Burns, Gach Michael, Huhn Stephen, Thomas Eubanks, Joseph Barchi, Dennison Philip, Heather Schenck, Craig Butts, David Vander Velde, Helene Citeau, for helpful information about installing oxygen sensors in magnet room. Here is a short summary -
1) Most NMR facilities have oxygen sensors. It is a safety for USERS, it is highly recommended. If you are in a government facility, there are more safety regulations, such as sink, eye wash station, purge valve and window vent to the lab to remove all gas quickly.
2) Where to purchase oxygen sensors? Alpha Omega, and calibrated a few times per year using a third party service. OXIGRAF, O2iM multipoint oxygen sensor, based on solid state IR laser are reliable compared to other oxygen sensor based on wet chemical cells which fail often, and make your life miserable with false alarms.
3) O2 sensors are expensive, not very reliable, and false alarms are early in the morning.
4) Conservative approach is to negotiate with Environmental Health and Safety and buy a portable O2 sensors and replace it every 2 years.
5) Magnet "Shrieks" when it quenches, so it serves as an alarm that everyone in the building will hear.
I personally prefer #4 and #5, but then I have a lot to think about, not just oxygen sensors, others safety recommendations suggested by all of you. Thank you all.
Hla Win-Piazza, Ph.D.
Western Washington University
NMR Facility Manager and Organic Lab Coordinator
360-650-2261
Received on Fri Sep 16 2016 - 10:00:14 MST