Re: sprinkler systems in microscope room

Posted by Oshel, Philip Eugene on
URL: http://confocal-microscopy-list.275.s1.nabble.com/Problems-with-Red-Safe-tp6927958p6932661.html

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Naomi,

We do, and it's very difficult to get people to understand how bad an
idea it is.
What I've done is tell the people who are specifying sprinklers that
they have to install the kind used in computer server rooms. Dry
powder extinguishers and the like.
You likely won't be able to keep the sprinklers out of the room, but
you can at least get the dry kind.
Note! If the sprinklers are going into rooms with electron
microscopes, talk to the EM company tech people to make sure the
sprinkler system won't cause problems with electromagnetic fields. If
they will, that's an excellent argument to at least move the pipes.
"Move the pipe or you'll turn the EM into a very expensive
paperweight - and you're paying for it."
And! For safety reasons, "right above the microscope" is a terrible
idea. Remind him that these instruments use electricity, some of them
draw lots of amps, some use 220V, and putting a wet sprinkler over
the microscope is creating a serious electrocution hazard.
That may work when nothing else will.

Phil

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>
>Our institute has decided to install sprinkler system in the institute for
>safety reasons, the engineer that planed the system has put at least one
>sprinkler right above every confocal/microscope we have in our unit. Can
>anyone tell me please if you have sprinklers in your microscopes room? Is
>there a way to avoid this ??
>
>Many thanks,
>
>Naomi Book
>
>
>Naomi Melamed-Book, Ph.D
>Bio-Imaging Unit
>The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Science
>Edmaond Safra Campus (G Ram)
>The Hebrew University
>Jerusalem 91904, Israel
>phone: [phone]
>Fax:[phone]
>[hidden email]

--
Philip Oshel
Microscopy Facility Supervisor
Biology Department
024C Brooks Hall
Central Michigan University
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
[phone]