Safety Precautions

Safety Precautions

(Source Section 1.1–1.2)

• High temperature: Do not touch the thermal plate while it is in operation — contact may cause severe burns.
• No user-serviceable parts inside the EZ-THERM controller. Do not remove covers. Exposed AC power can be present even with the power switch off. To avoid accidental shock, turn off the power and unplug the line cord before checking or replacing the fuse. Only use the specified fuse value; do not attempt to bypass or repair the fuse.
• Shock hazard: Use extreme care when handling output connections.
• UV radiation exposure: There are no regulatory UV exposure limits, but the ACGIH publishes recommended Threshold Limit Values (TLVs), which are wavelength-dependent (3 mJ/cm² to 100,000 mJ/cm²):
  • UV-A (315–400 nm): 1.0 J/cm² for exposures under 1000 s; 1.0 mW/cm² for exposures over 1000 s.
  • UV-B: 3.4 mJ/cm² at 280 nm; 500 mJ/cm² at 313 nm.
  • UV-C: 250 mJ/cm² at 180 nm; 3.1 mJ/cm² at 275 nm.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): If engineering/administrative controls cannot protect personnel from UV exposure, use PPE — UV safety goggles, UV face shields, long-sleeved tightly-woven clothing, and gloves. High-SPF (>15) sunscreen may offer some UV-A/UV-B protection but is considered inadequate against high-irradiance man-made UV sources on its own.
  • Eye protection: polycarbonate safety glasses or a polycarbonate face shield, worn whenever there is potential for ongoing UV exposure. Contact EH&S for guidance on appropriate UV protective eyewear.
  • Skin protection: best achieved with clothing, gloves, and face shields (most clothing absorbs UV).
  • Any equipment emitting UV radiation, and its immediate area, must have UV warning labels posted (no standard label format specified).