Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS5 Installation and operating manual

FT-IR
Nicolet iS5
Safety Guide
269-265200 Revision A November 2010

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Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS5 Spectrometer Safety Guide 1
Introduction
This safety guide contains a summary of the safety precautions that must be followed when
using a Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS5 spectrometer.
Conventions Used in This Manual
This manual includes safety precautions and other important information presented in the
following format:
Contents
•Operating a Spectrometer Safely
•Electrical Safety
•Laser Safety
•Corrosives, Solvents, and Pressurized Gases
•Performing Maintenance and Troubleshooting Safely
•Label Locations
Note Notes contain helpful supplementary information.
IMPORTANT Follow instructions with this label to avoid damaging the system hardware
or losing data.
CAUTION Indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in minor or
moderate injury.
WARNING Indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in death or
serious injury.

Introduction
Operating a Spectrometer Safely
2Nicolet iS5 Spectrometer Safety Guide Thermo Scientific
The following safety symbols may be used on this product:
Questions or Concerns
In case of emergency, follow the procedures established by your facility. If you have questions
or concerns about safety or need assistance with operation, repairs or replacement parts, you
can contact our sales or service representative in your area or visit our web site at
www.thermo.com/spectroscopy.
Operating a Spectrometer Safely
Using this instrument in a manner not specified in any of the documentation that came with
the instrument may create a hazardous condition.
Each person who will be using this instrument should read this manual. Safety information is
also included in your spectrometer, accessory, computer, and software documentation.
Symbol Description Indication
Black graphical symbol
inside a yellow triangle with
a black triangular band.
This is a warning symbol. The graphic in this
symbol is used to alert the user to potential
hazards.
Black graphical symbol
inside a red circular band
with a red diagonal bar.
This is a prohibition symbol. The graphic in
this symbol is used to alert the user to actions
that shall not be taken or shall be stopped.
White graphical symbol
inside a blue circle.
This is a mandatory action symbol. It is used
to indicate that an action shall be taken to
avoid a hazard.
Black graphical symbol
inside a yellow triangle with
a black triangular band.
This is the general warning sign. Failure to
heed the safety precautions could result in
personal injury.
White graphical symbol
inside a blue circle.
This is the general data loss or property
damage symbol and is not related to personal
injury. Failure to heed these precautions can
result in irreparable damage to property or
permanent data loss.
WARNING If the equipment is used in a manner not specified in the documentation, the
protection provided by the equipment may be impaired.

Introduction
Operating a Spectrometer Safely
Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS5 Spectrometer Safety Guide 3
In many cases, safety information is displayed on the instrument itself. The safety label
illustrations in the documentation that came with your instrument show the locations of the
safety labels. Should any of these labels become loose or unreadable, use the information in
the front of this manual to contact us to obtain new ones.
Fire Safety and Burn Hazards
The following symbols may appear inside the instrument to warn you about hot surfaces in
the vicinity of the symbol.
To avoid a burn injury and the risk of fire or explosion, follow these guidelines:
• Do not test flammable or explosive samples.
• Use only nitrogen or dried air to purge your instrument.
• Do not touch the infrared source housing; it may be very hot.
• Do not place anything on the electronics cover.
• After you turn off your instrument, wait 10 minutes before you replace components.
• Never block any of the vents on an instrument or its power supply.
• Use exact replacements for power supplies.
The following precautions provide additional information about fire safety and preventing
burn hazards.
WARNING Before opening the desiccant compartment, turn off the instrument power,
unplug the power cord and remove all accessories and samples from the system. Entry of
flammable liquids or gases into the desiccant compartment is an explosion hazard. If such
entry occurs, contact us immediately and do not apply power to the instrument until the
condition has been corrected.
CAUTION The infrared source in your instrument can be removed without removing the
main cover of the instrument. If you remove the source, follow the provided instructions
and be aware that the source housing may be very hot and stays hot for up to 10 minutes
after you turn off the instrument. To avoid being burned or starting a fire, do not touch
the source with your body or any flammable object until it has cooled.

Introduction
Operating a Spectrometer Safely
4Nicolet iS5 Spectrometer Safety Guide Thermo Scientific
Environmental Conditions
Your instrument is designed for indoor use at altitudes up to 2,000 m (6,500 ft). It operates
reliably at temperatures between 15 °C and 35 °C (60 °F and 95 °F). It may briefly be exposed
to temperatures as low as -10 °C (for example, during transport) without degradation of its
safety. Temperature changes may result in drift in the system response.
Lifting or Moving the Instrument
Your instrument weighs 10 kg (22 lb) or more. To avoid risk of injury, use proper techniques
when lifting or moving the instrument or other system components.
WEEE compliance
Many instruments are required to comply with the European Union’s Waste Electrical &
Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive 2002/96/EC. If compliance is required, the
instrument is marked with the following symbol:
We have contracted with one or more recycling/disposal companies in each EU Member
State, and this product should be disposed of or recycled through them. Further information
on our compliance with these directives, the recyclers in your country, and information on our
products which may assist the detection of substances subject to the RoHS Directive are
available at www.thermo.com/WEEERoHS.
WARNING Never use a flammable, combustible, or toxic gas to purge this instrument.
The purge gas must be free of oil and other reactive materials. Heat from the source or
from laser absorption may ignite flammable gases or reactive materials in purge gas. Use
only dried air or nitrogen to purge your instrument.
IMPORTANT Do not place anything on top of the vents at the back of the instrument.
Electronic components can overheat if these vents are blocked.
IMPORTANT Your instrument must be protected from excessive humidity, since the
beamsplitters, detectors, and other components may corrode with exposure to moisture.
Maintain humidity in the range of 20% to 80% noncondensing. To accomplish this, this
instrument is sealed and desiccated. For additional humidity protection, the optional
purge configuration and/or zinc selenide (ZnSe) windows can be used.

Introduction
Electrical Safety
Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS5 Spectrometer Safety Guide 5
Electrical Safety
Your instrument was designed with protective covers to prevent exposure to dangerous voltage
and other electrical hazards. If you see either of the following symbols on your instrument,
there is a risk of electric shock in the vicinity of the symbol.
Fuses
Your instrument is protected by fuses that are built into the external power supply. These fuses
are not individually replaceable. If the fuses blow, you must replace the power supply.
WARNING Do not block access to the power supply, AC power cord or power switch.
WARNING To avoid injury, only a qualified person using the appropriate measuring
device should check the line voltage, current and frequency.
CAUTION Only our trained and certified service representatives should attempt to service
a component that carries either of these symbols.
CAUTION If a protective cover on a system component appears damaged, turn off the
system and secure it against any unintended operation. Always examine the protective
cover for transport stresses after shipping.
CAUTION Even after this instrument has been disconnected from all voltage sources,
capacitors may remain charged for up to 30 seconds and can cause an electrical shock.
CAUTION To avoid a shock hazard, do not allow liquid to run into the power supply or
the back of the instrument.
CAUTION To avoid a shock hazard, do not attempt to remove the cover of the power
supply.
IMPORTANT Sample compartment windows can be damaged by exposure to liquid. Do
not allow liquids to come into contact with these windows.

Introduction
Laser Safety
6Nicolet iS5 Spectrometer Safety Guide Thermo Scientific
Electrical Service
Check the line voltage and frequency of the wall outlet that will be used for the instrument
before you connect the instrument or turn on the power. This should be done when the system
is installed and any time the system is plugged into a different wall outlet.
Grounding
Each wall outlet you use must be equipped with a 3-wire line: live, neutral, and ground.
Power Cords
You must be sure to use an appropriate power cord for your electrical service. The power cord
supplied with the spectrometer is a 3-wire, grounded power cord, appropriate for use in the
country listed as the shipping destination for the system. If the power cord you received is not
appropriate for the electrical system in your location, or if the power cord becomes damaged,
contact us to order a new power cord.
Laser Safety
This instrument is a laser product. The laser source is an 850 nm diode that emits radiation
that is invisible to the human eye. If you see the following symbol, there is a risk of exposure
to laser radiation in the vicinity.
WARNING To avoid injury, only a qualified person using the appropriate measuring
device should check the line voltage, current and line frequency. If you are not sure your
electrical service meets the following requirements, contact us for information about a
power line audit.
Characteristic Specification
Input current 1.2 A
Input voltage 100-240 VAC
Line frequency 50-60 Hz
Line disturbances Sags, surges, or other line disturbances must not exceed 10% of
input voltage (even for a half cycle)
Noise less than 2 V (common mode)
less than 20 V (normal mode)
WARNING To ensure a good ground connection and avoid shock hazard, do not use an
outlet that has ground connected to a conduit ground. The ground must be a
non-current-carrying wire connected to earth ground at the main distribution box.

Introduction
Corrosives, Solvents, and Pressurized Gases
Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS5 Spectrometer Safety Guide 7
The United States Department of Health and Human Services warns against improper laser
use, as follows:
Protective Housing
A protective housing covers this instrument. More than 80 percent of the invisible laser
radiation is lost as it passes through the instrument optics. The accessible laser radiation in the
sample compartment is very low, with less than 200 μW of continuous power.
Laser Emissions
This instrument is classified as a Class I laser product (FDA-CDRH and IEC 60825-1:2007),
which is inherently safe. Less than 200 μW of reflective invisible laser radiation is accessible
during normal use and maintenance.
Manufacturer’s Laser Information
In some jurisdictions you may be required to register this instrument; check with your
company’s safety officer or your local government offices. The following is an excerpt from the
laser manufacturer’s manual regarding the information that might be needed for registration.
Corrosives, Solvents, and Pressurized Gases
Many standard spectroscopy methods are based on the use of solvents. Others involve
corrosive samples or pressurized samples in a gaseous state. All these sample materials can be
measured using your instrument, but special precautions must be taken.
CAUTION Invisible laser radiation from class 3B laser. Avoid exposure to beam.
CAUTION Use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures other than those
specified in your user guide and on-line tutorials may result in hazardous radiation
exposure. Class 3B invisible laser radiation inside.
Characteristic Specification
Type of laser diode
Wavelength 850 nm ±10 nm
maximum power 0.8 mW
CDRH classification Class 3B

Introduction
Corrosives, Solvents, and Pressurized Gases
8Nicolet iS5 Spectrometer Safety Guide Thermo Scientific
Volatile Solvents
If you use volatile solvents regularly, purging the instrument with dried, clean air or nitrogen
is strongly recommended to create positive pressure inside the instrument. To avoid fire,
explosion, and asphyxiation hazards, follow these guidelines when working with solvents.
• Do not leave exposed solvent in the sample compartment for longer than necessary.
• Work with the sample compartment cover open. For most infrared and near-infrared
applications, it is not necessary to close the sample compartment cover.
• Do not leave the solvents near the instrument.
• If possible, purge the sample compartment.
• Be sure that your work space is properly ventilated.
These measures will help prolong the life of your instrument and will eliminate the possibility
of spectral interference caused by volatile solvent vapors.
Corrosive Solvents
Using solvents that may produce HCl or HF vapors in the sample compartment may severely
damage the system. If you use halogenated solvents, such as those listed below, purging the
instrument with dry, clean air or nitrogen is strongly recommended. Equipment damage due
to failure to purge is not covered under the warranty. (If you have questions about this, please
contact us.) The following is a list of commonly used halogenated solvents:
•Freon
• Methylene chloride
• Trichloroethylene
• Chloroform
• Carbon tetrachloride
WARNING Prevent fire and explosion. The infrared source inside the instrument is an
ignition source. If you are using volatile solvents, provide a fume hood or other active
venting system that is free of spark and other ignition sources and prevents flammable
vapors from collecting in the atmosphere surrounding the instrument.
CAUTION Materials such as hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid and phosgene are highly
toxic (Note to translators: very toxic is the classification for European Nations). If you
plan to regularly use solvents containing halogenated hydrocarbons, be sure your work
area is properly ventilated.