Sources of Hazards
The safety chapter will deal with safety in more detail, but for now it is worth highlighting potential hazards that arise when operating an NMR spectrometer at this introductory stage. For such a sophisticated system there are surprisingly few opportunities for inexperienced users to damage the equipment, so only the most important ones are worth noting. With normal operation the most likely causes of damage are:
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- Removing a sample from the magnet with the bore still plugged.
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- Inserting a sample into the magnet without the presence of the supporting air cushion.
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- Transmitting RF power along unconnected cables or poorly matched probes.
New users are advised to acquaint themselves with these potential hazards before commencing. System managers are advised to ensure that any new users understand the issues mentioned above.