FACULTY OF COMPUTING, ENGINEERING & SCIENCES
SCHOOL OF SCIENCES
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR NMR FACILITY R025 SCIENCE
CENTRE
APPENDIX 1 – RISK ASSESSMENT
APPENDIX 2 – NMR PERMIT TO WORK
APPENDIX 3 – SAFETY TRAINING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Standard operating procedure for access to the NMR room R025, within the School of
Sciences specialist equipment facility (R024) ground floor, Science Centre, Leek
Road
This standard operating procedure (SOP) is a mandatory instruction of Staffordshire
University on all staff, visitors, contractors and students who use or enter the NMR
facility room (R025) all of whom must comply with the requirements of this
document, and the specific risk assessment complied for this area (Appendix 1).
Hazards and Risks
The JNM-ECX(A)400 (JEOL) NMR generates a strong magnetic field, which may act
upon ferromagnetic objects attracted to the field. There are documented reports of
limb entrapment and persons being struck by ferrometallic projectiles.
Risk to the functioning of medical implants
As field strength increases above 0.5mT (5 gauss) the risk to medical implants such as
pacemakers, increases; wearers of pacemakers, valve implants and neruostiumlators
should be regarded as being a high risk group.
Persons who have pacemakers or active medical implants should never enter the
NMR controlled area. It is the duty of NMR staff (technical and academic) to
provide adequate warning and screen all persons who wish to enter the NMR
room (R025) via the safety training acknowledgment (Appendix 3)
Hazard/Risk Identification under normal operational conditions
There are no records of adverse health effects where, during the working day, timeaveraged exposures are less than 200mT and the exposure is less than 2T (ICNIRP,
1994)
Hazard/Risk identification
The hazards associated with magnetic fields may be grouped as follows on the objects
that could potentially be affected and the nature of the risk.
Objects affected by magnetic fields
Health and safety hazard
Cause of risk
Tools, scissors, keys, watches,
coins, jewellery, spectacles, hair
grips, body piercing
Medical implants: pacemakers,
mitral/aortic valve implants,
neruostimulators
Medical implants: stents, clips,
cochlear implants, drug pumps,
breast implants
Electronic components, magnetic
tapes and recording media, credit
cards, memory/media chips
Projectile
Attractive magnetic forces in
excess of 3mT – 30 gauss
Major organ stress, cardiac
failure
Magnetic forces in excess of
0.5mT – 5 gauss causing
malfunction or reprogramming
Torque along magnetic field
lines in the region 0.5mT – 5
gauss
Magnetic field causing magnetic
data loss or program-run errors
Tissue damage, displaced
implants
Data loss
To contain risk:
XRD
Facility
R026
School of Sciences specialist equipment suite
R024
Warning signs and access control
NMR room R025
PC
Work
station
NMR controlled area extends into
30 Gauss zone for all the room
Delivery room
R023
NMR compressor
NMR magnet – 5
Gauss line (inner
controlled area)
black and yellow
striped tape on floor
ECX 400
control unit
0.5mT (5 Gauss)
 Creating an exclusion zone along the 0.5mT isocontour will safeguard all persons
who might be at risk, including the high-risk group. Exclusion zone identified by
black and yellow tape on floor.
3mT (30 Gauss)
 R025 NMR room being designated a NMR controlled area along the 3mT
isocontour for which it is unsafe to take ferromagnetic objects without permission,
notice on doors to this effect.
Safety instruction
1. The exclusion zone around the NMR will delineate the 5 Gauss line. This will
be achieved by a black and yellow striped tape on the floor around the magnet
2. The NMR room R025 will be designated as the 30 Gauss exclusion zone,
safety notices on the door to this effect.
3. The only persons who may enter an exclusion zone are the facility personnel
(technical and academic) and those persons who have permission through risk
assessment and completed safety training acknowledgment to enter the room
4. People with pacemakers or similar devices should not enter the 30 gauss
exclusion zone (NMR room R025)
5. People with medical implants should check with facility personnel before
entering
6. Magnetic objects such as ferrous tools, watches, keys, wallets jewellery etc,
should be kept outside the 5 Gauss exclusion zone
7. Only non-magnetic tools may be brought into an exclusion zone
8. If a metallic objects strikes the magnet, notify Specialist technical staff, Paul
Bailey (ext 5943), Audra Jones Technical team leader/Faculty Health and
Safety advisor (ext 4289) or Dr. Andy Platt Senior Lecturer (ext 4784)
9. Ensure that electronics, magnetic media (discs, sticks flash cards), cameras,
credit cards etc do not enter the 5 Gauss exclusion zone
10. A non-magnetic CO² cylinder (Blue lever) has been positioned within the
specialist equipment room R024 by the fume cupboard for use within the
NMR room
Additional safety instruction for specialist (NMR) contractors
Work on NMR machines and associated equipment must only be carried out by
specialist maintenance contractors from approved service companies/suppliers, or by
properly trained competent persons who are able to prove their competence to the
satisfaction of the Faculty Health and Safety advisor (Audra Jones R104 Science
Centre Ext 4283).
Maintenance, installation and servicing must be carried out in accordance with written
instructions or maintenance/operators manuals.
External contractors must hold an appropriate amount of liability insurance.
Additional safety instruction for building or estate contractors
Work on the fabric of the estate and on services will be planned in advance and with
sufficient care to minimise the impact on the day-to-day operation of the NMR
equipment.
The greatest risk to safety is the use of ferrous tools and objects, which may be
attracted by and accelerated towards the magnet. Objects may strike anyone in the
path or impact the machines and cause instrument damage or damage that could result
in the leakage of cryogenic fluids (quench).
Control measures
Consideration by facility personnel and Faculty Health and Safety manager of the
following control measures, listed in order and by preference.
1. Is the maintenance necessary? Can it be done another way without accessing
the room/exclusion zones?
2. The contractor enters the specialist equipment room R024, but does not enter
the exclusion zone (R025) Action permit to work documentation completed
(Appendix 2)
3. The engineer has to enter the exclusion zone and it is not possible to quench
the magnet. Action Ensure all tools and equipment are non magnetic. Explain
the safety instruction; ensure permit to work documentation completed
(Appendix 2). Check the contractor removes watches, coins, metals, metalrimmed spectacles, magnetic media, credit cards etc, as stated in the safety
instructions, and the engineer is accompanied at all times by a member of the
facility staff.
Responsibilities
Dean of Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences:
Professor Hastings McKenzie
 Ensure that operational procedures are in place for the safe use of the NMR
facility, including preparation of risk assessments for the facility
Academic managers/Faculty Health & Safety advisor/Technical skills specialists
Dr. A. Platt
Dr. J. Wheeler
Paul Bailey
Audra Jones

Ensure that suitable and sufficient risk assessments are in place, along with any
necessary instructions resulting from the finds of the risk assessment.

Ensure that safety instruction and operational procedures are complied with for all
users

Ensure contractors (general and specialist) understand and comply with this
operating procedure (SOP)
Appendix 1 – Risk assessment for NMR room R025
PRA form: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance equipment
JEOL ECX 400 solid state NMR, R025 Science Centre, Leek Road
No: NMR1
Risk assessment, Safety guidelines and information for users of NMR equipment R025 Science centre Leek Road
All persons working in the NMR room must be inducted and receive training from specialist technical staff or
Academic supervisors prior to starting work. This applies to all users, however, training will be tailored to suit
previous experience and records kept by Technical team leader, Audra Jones, room R104. (Appendix 3 NMR
safety training acknowledgement of the standard operating procedure for the NMR room). Copies to be kept with
user at all times, if ID requested.
Risks are minimised by limiting access to the NMR to trained users, Other persons entering the room must be
escorted by technical skills specialist or experienced users.
Spectrophotometer modifications and maintenance, including the use of cryogens is limited to NMR technical staff
and experienced users as designated by the Faculty
Estates, Technical services personnel and all other contractors must inform the technical staff and complete the
permit to work documentation (Appendix 2 of the standard operating procedure for the NMR room) before any
work commences. All work must be notified to the Technical team leader (Audra Jones ext 4283) prior to
commencing.
Hazards inherent in the work/room
Sharps
Electrical Hazards
Cryogens (within pressure vessel)
Comments
Samples for NMR are relatively small (normally dissolved in, 1ml of solvent
for liquid state NMR) and are contained within NMR sample tubes sealed
with a lid. Liquid-state NMR samples are normally dissolved in DMSO-d6
or Chloroform-d, or other laboratory solvent (these will be separately
COSHH assessed). The main hazards are therefore most likely to be a
result of tube breakage causing sharps injury or exposure to a hazardous
sample compound or additive. Standard glass NMR tubes are generally
robust if cautiously handled. All of these solvents and consumables will be
kept within the preparation room R024. If required only preweighed
(generally 20mg) solids or liquids are carried from the labs to the NMR in
robust sample tubes, which are then dissolved for the NMR work in R024
fume hood.
NMR spectrometers and their accessories contain a number of devices
operating at mains or higher voltages and currents. No exposed live
electrics are present under normal circumstance, so with standard
operation of the NMR, risks are similar to those encountered in the use of
other laboratory or computer equipment.
The cryogens used are liquid nitrogen and liquid helium. They are present
within the magnet cryostats and during normal operation users are not
exposed directly. The magnet cryostat continuously expels a small quantity
of gaseous He and N2 into the air due to liquid boil-off. Main risks are cold
burns when handling cryogens and asphyxiation due to boil-off during filling
or if a magnet quenches. Magnet quenches can be spontaneous and
cause the rapid release of the cryogens within the magnet cryostats into
the room, reducing air (and thus oxygen) content. This can result due to
equipment failure, insufficient cryogen levels or damage to cryostat vessel.
A BOC mobile Croystor vessel (120 litres) will be stored within the
preparation room and will be brought into R025for refilling of liquid nitrogen
levels, a separate risk assessment (NMR 2) will cover this activity.
Chemicals
COSHH assessment to apply to NMR sampling and use of chemicals
Strong magnetic field
Trip Hazards
Working outside normal working
hours
High magnetic fields are present around the NMR spectrometer cryostats.
These can be hazardous indirectly through the forces exerted on
ferromagnetic materials or directly via the effect on electronic devices or
potentially on the human body. Specific hazards are:
Medical electronic implants such as cardiac pacemakers may be affected
by magnetic field. Medical implants e.g. pins, blood vessel clips and
prostheses may contain ferromagnetic materials and could be subject to
strong attractive forces near to the NMR magnet systems.
Large attractive forces are exerted on magnetic materials or equipment
bought in close proximity to the NMR magnet system. The force may
become large enough to move tools or equipment uncontrollably towards
the magnet; the closer to the magnet cryostat the larger the force. Risks
come from release of ferromagnetic items/tools or equipment, which are
bought near the magnets. For this reason fire extinguishers should not
be used near NMR cryostats.
Exposure to these oscillating magnetic fields and the cumulative affect
represent no hazard outside the 5 Gauss safety line normally used.
The NMR room contains electrical cabling and pipe work, which are likely
to be unfamiliar to non-experienced users. These are close to the magnet
cryostat so present a possible hazard to user making routine adjustments
near or under the spectrometer cryostats.
Normal working for the NMR room is 8.45am to 4.30pm Monday –
Thursday and 8.45am to 4.00pm on Friday. Trained users will have
permission to operate the NMR instrument only, outside normal working
hours, and with adherence to the Faculty lone working policy.
Toxicity data
P= poisonous T+= very toxic T=
toxic I = irritant
H = harmful
C+ = Carcinogen/Suspected
Other hazards
Fl = flammable Ex = risk of
explosion
C= corrosive O = oxidizing
De = dangerous for the environment
Materials involved (including
products and volumes to be used)
Toxicity data including other
hazards
P / T+ / T / Fl / Ex / C/ O / De
I / H/C+
Specific chemical use to be COSHH
assessed via further risk
assessments
Liquid Helium (refrigerated liquid) –
contents under pressure
92 litre capacity
Liquid Nitrogen (refrigerated liquid)
– contents under pressure
76 litre capacity
120 litre cryostor vessel for refilling
Actions needed to minimise risk
Asphyxiant, may cause severe
frostbite and cryogenic burns. Acute
or chronic respiratory conditions
may be aggravated by
overexposure
Asphyxiant, may cause severe
frostbite and cryogenic burns.
Minimum handling precautions
F= fume cupboard
Gl
= gloves
SS = safety shield / glasses
M=
face mask
Cab = microbiological cabinet GM
= gas mask
Minimum precautions
F / Gl / SS / M / Cab / GM
Use only with adequate ventilation,
engineered controls have been
developed within the room to keep
exposure to airborne contaminants
below any recommended or
statutory limits
Safety eyewear complying with
approved standards necessary to
avoid exposure to liquid splashes,
mists or dusts. When working with
cryogenic liquids i.e. during refill
ensure full-face shield is worn.
Use of approves safety mask, if
specified.
Use of insulated gloves suitable for
work low temperatures
As above
Sharps – Risk of exposure to a hazardous sample through dropping the NMR tube is minimised by carrying it
within a secondary container (plastic ‘tupperware’) with lid during transport between laboratories and NMR room.
Risk of exposure during loading of the sample is no different from that during sample preparation and the student,
researcher, technical staff and academic is responsible for ensuring appropriate risk assessments have been
carried out for their work/research.
Electrical hazards – Modifications/maintenance of the equipment is restricted to the Technical skills specialist(s)
and designated experienced users in consultation with the spectrophotometer manufacturer (JEOL). Only carbon
dioxide fire extinguishers should be used around electrical equipment (including computers) NB: fire extinguishers
are not to be used near the magnet cryostat specifically the 5 Gauss zone, as they may be attracted by the
magnetic field.
Cryogens – The NMR room has air handling preventing build up of asphyxiants under normal boil-off conditions.
Asphyxiation is additionally minimised by oxygen monitoring within the NMR room at both low and high level,
which triggers an evacuation alarm within the room.
Only trained staff may fill the magnets with liquid nitrogen/helium, this is risk assessed separately
Access to the NMR room is not permitted during refills.
The liquid Nitrogen cryostor vessel will be kept within the preparation room R024, as this room also contains
oxygen monitoring equipment and assessed to be the safest option.
The taped area on the floor indicates strong magnetic field – The 5 gauss exclusion zone. A black and
yellow strip tape positioned on the floor around the magnetic cryostat identifies this. The 30 Gauss exclusion zone
is set for the room R205, and all personnel with electronic medical implants are excluded from the NMR room.
Personnel with other implants must not enter the area around the magnet cryostats where the field strength is > 5
Gauss. Risk of moving metal causing injury/damage are minimised by exclusion of all metallic objects from the
marked area in the NMR room. NMR staff and researchers should spend no longer than reasonably necessary
within the immediate proximity of the magnets, i.e. only for sample changing and routine adjustments. Mobile
phones, watches, calculators and tapes of magnetic or RFID devices such as swipe cards, credit cards travel
tickets, USB drives etc. must not be taken into the marked 5 Gauss area.
Emergency procedures:
In the event of any of the following scenarios please ensure Technical team leader (Audra Jones ext 4283 or
Technical skills specialist Paul Bailey ext 4943) has been informed as soon as it is safe to do so. Also including
important out-of-hours incidents using mobile number at the bottom of this assessment. Audra Jones to be
informed of any accidents, near misses or requirement of first aid to help guide safe practice within the NMR
room.
In the event of magnet quench/loud alarm sounding within the NMR room. In the event of a quench, the
cryomagnets rapidly vent helium and nitrogen gases into the room. This is the most common danger of an object
impacting the magnet. This is apparent from an extremely loud noise emanating from the magnets (and/or the
noise of escaping gas and vapour clouds above the magnet). Also the sounding of the alarm from the oxygen
deficiency meters within the NMR room. In this event:

Evacuate the NMR room immediately, ensuring those around you in adjacent rooms also do so

Inform the Audra Jones, contact details on external laboratory door or below

Corridor area outside Specialist room suite R024 considered safe

The room may be entered only when the oxygen meter indicates that it is safe to do so, and instructed by
specialist and/or Health and Safety advisor.
In the event of fire, or if you hear the fire alarm (sounding within room), proceed to the nearest fire exit (back of
building) ensuring others around you are aware. The Science Centre has automatic fire detection systems in
place. The fire assembly point is J – Business village car park at the back of the building. Fire extinguishers
are located within the room and should only be used if your are trained in their use and you feel able to tackle the
blaze safely. Only non-magnetic (blue lever) carbon dioxide fire extinguishers to be used around electrical
equipment (including computers) within the 5 Gauss line zone.
Damage to NMR equipment or equipment indicating fault. Ensure Audra Jones or Paul Bailey are informed ASAP
Metal objects become attached to the magnet. Evacuate the room immediately, ensuring those around you are
aware. Under no circumstances should an attempt be made to pull a stuck metal object away from the NMR
cryostat as this may trigger a quench. Inform Audra Jones (4283) or Paul Bailey (5943) immediately
Spillage of samples. Inform those around you and ensure that other people cannot walk into the spillage area.
Wear appropriate personal protective equipment to clear up the spill. Collect any broken glass/solids using a
dustpan and brush and if required make use of spills kit available. Dispose of glass into a sharps bin.
Sample breakage inside the spectrometer. If you suspect a tube has broken inside the NMR spectrometer (e.g.
no solvent signal), do not eject the sample; inform those around you to ensure no-one else attempts to eject the
sample. Inform Paul Bailey/Dr. Andy Platt as soon as possible who will ensure protocol compliance.
Any special conditions specified as part of the permission to carry out the work/ procedure and actions needed to
minimise risk.
Ensure this assessment is read in conjunction with Standard operating procedure for use of NMR room and follow
all mandatory requirements notably Appendix 2 - permit to work and Appendix 3 - Training acknowledgement.
NMR room and related staff:
Paul Bailey (Technical skills specialist) p.m.bailey@staffs.ac.uk Ext 5943
Audra Jones (Technical team leader/ Faculty Health and Safety advisor) a.a.jones@staffs.ac.uk ext 4283 Mobile
07920 703839
Pete Martin (Technical skills specialist) p.j.martin@staffs.ac.uk Ext 4575
Dr. Andy Platt (Senior lecturer) a.platt@staffs.ac.uk Ext 4784
Dr. John Wheeler (Head of School) j.w.wheeler@staffs.ac.uk Ext 4690
What level of risk do you associate with this procedure?
High
Medium
If all procedures are followed
correctly medium risk applied to
use of NMR
Completed by Technical Team leader Audra Jones
Low
Date 5th January 2013
School H&S approval (if
required)
Date of Review:
Signature: Audra Jones
Date: 5.1.2013
Updated June 24th for non-magnetic fire extinquisher – A. Jones
January 2014
You are reminded that work will not commence until a formal risk assessment has been carried
out and ethical permission granted if required.
Copies of completed forms will be sent to the Supervisor responsible who will then forward them
to Audra Jones for electronic storage.
Reviewed September 2013
Appendix 2 - Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) permit to work
Staffordshire University – School of Sciences
Science Centre, Preparation room R024/NMR Room R025
Permit No:
Work activity:
Applicable for any contractors working in NMR room e.g. Estate contractors, building contractors, service
engineers etc.
Contractor

Suitable and sufficient risk assessments submitted
for work

Risk assessment site specific and relevant to work
being done

Contractor on Staffordshire University Estates
approved list

Contractor personnel have stated that they do not
have heart pacemakers or metallic implants

Contractor personnel have been instructed to
remove any jewellery, credit cards, keys, buckles
etc, i.e. any equipment that can be affected by
magnetic field, and place in boxes supplied or
designated, safe desk areas in NMR room (R025)

Contractor personnel understand the need to use
non-magnetic equipment, tools and screws/fixing
within the 5 Gauss line

Contractor personnel understand the need to keep
electronic equipment outside the 5 Gauss line

If ladders or step-ladders are required they must be
non magnetic i.e. aluminium
School of Sciences

Contractors have been provided with School’s risk
assessment for NMR room (R025)

Contractors have been provided with on-site
induction by competent NMR personnel

Contractors will be supervised at all times, whilst
they are working in NMR room, by competent NMR
personnel

5 Gauss line marked for NMR equipment

If a significant amount of dust is likely to be
generated by the work, the magnet has been
covered with plastic dust sheets to protect it, but
ensuring that the cryogen vents are not covered

Anything metallic which is to be used within the 5
Gauss line has been checked by NMR personnel
using a hand-held magnet, to ensure that it is nonmagnetic

Oxygen depletion due to cryogens, provide
instruction on action to be taken if the oxygen
monitor alarm sounds (fitted within room to provide
warning of asphyxiation hazard due to oxygen
depletion from leakage of cryogens

Magnet quench, describe how to recognise if the
magnet quenches (leading to release of cryogens
into the room and asphyxiation hazard) and action
be to taken in this event
Contractors have agreed to:

Follow the information given during the University on-site induction regarding fire evacuation procedures and
other emergency situations

Implement appropriate control measures as specified in risk assessment(s)

Inform a member of NMR staff whenever they need access to the NMR room and understand that NMR staff
must either be present or contactable to supervise their work and provide additional advice when required.
Agreed safe working procedures:

Care must be taken when entering the 5 Gauss line, which will be clearly marked on the floor

Equipment my have to be removed from the room for alteration and then returned for refitting, as no magnetic
tools or any ferrous equipment can be used within the 5 Gauss line.
Agreed use of tools:

In the NMR room, outside the 5 Gauss line standard metal tools can be used with care

Inside the 5 Gauss line only non-magnetic tools and equipment can be used
Permit issued to. ………………………………………..Of……………………………………….(Company)
Valid from. ………………………..…. hrs, to ………………………… on………………..……..(date)
Signed /Time………………………..Contractor Name in Block letters…………………………………………...
Signed/Time………………………...University personnel Name in Block letters……………….…………………
The above work has been completed in accordance with this permit to work:
Name…………………………..…Signed……………………………..Date……………………..Time……………
Confirmed University personnel: Name…………………..…..Signed…………………………....Date…………...
Appendix 3 - NMR safety training acknowledgement
Staffordshire University, School of Science NMR facility is located within the Science Centre, Leek
Road, ground floor R025
Alongside the standard operating procedure and risk assessment, which must be read, this is
acknowledgement that all information has been read and understood before access to the NMR is
allowed. When within the NMR room you must keep a signed copy of this with you at all times, and will
be asked to produce it on request.
No one is to be present within the NMR room unless they have read and signed this form AND is
present with the knowledge and explicit approval of NMR technical and Faculty Academic staff.
Audra Jones (Faculty Health and Safety advisor) will be notified prior to use of ferromagnetic objects
within the 5 gauss line and within the 30 gauss zone of the NMR room
Definitions:
Gauss line – 5 gauss is the strength of a magnet that has a strong enough magnetic force to act upon
object. The 5 guass line describes the distance from the centre of the magnet where a magnetic filed
strength of 5 gauss is experienced
Medical implants, electronic – Medical implants that have electronics (such as pacemakers) are set
and/or reset through the use of magnetic fields. Thus exposure to magnetic fields can cause such
devices to operate in an unintended manner or stop working altogether. People with such implants
should never enter the NMR room. Signs are posted on entry doors to this effect.
Medical implants, non-electronic – Medical implants such as pins, surgical clips, etc. may be magnetic
and may be subject to the same forces described above. People with such implants will stay outside the
5 gauss line (identified by the black and yellow striped tape positioned on the floor). Wallets, credit
cards, watch, magnetic media – while not strictly a safety issue, large magnetic fields can wipe out the
magnetic information on ATM and credit cards and magnetic media such as computer discs and flash
drives. Keep these outside the 5 gauss zone. Digital watches are usually okay within high magnetic
field, although some may have magnetic material. Each user is responsible for knowing if their watch is
magnetic.
I HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD THE ABOVE WARNINGS. I HAVE ALSO READ THE STANDARD
OPERATING PROCEDURE, RISK ASSESSMENT AND SAFTY NOTES. I HAVE BEEN SHOWN THE
WARNING SIGNS FOR THE NMR ROOM, AND UNDERSTAND THE EVACUATION PROCEDURES
AS DESCRIBED. I HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE 5 GAUSS ZONE AROUND THE MAGNET
PRINT NAME
SIGNATURE & DATE
SUPERVISOR/TRAINER’S NAME & TITLE
SUPERVISOR/TRAINER’S SIGNATURE & DATE