Safety Precautions; Opening And Closing - VWR VAPOUR-Line eco 25 Manuel D'instructions

Safety precautions

Opening and closing

The autoclave has a safety block when the lid is open. This block will prevent the lid falling on the
hands of the operator. ALWAYS make sure that the block is working properly and that there's
sufficient space between the instrument and the wall behind, in order to allow the lid to open
completely and block to be activated.
After a cycle, the instrument should only be opened when temperature is below 70 °C and the inner
pressure is at 0. Autoclaves have safety devices in order to avoid accidental opening. In this case
DO NOT FORCE the instrument open.
Opening the autoclave when power is off is NOT recommended.
Personal Safety Systems (PSS)
All the safety devices on this autoclave will prevent accidental opening. However, sterilised loads
can undergo thermal shock during a cycle that can cause breakages during opening, although in
very rare circumstances.
The following PSS workwear should be near the instrument and always worn by personnel:

Heat resistant gloves

Heat resistant face mask (e.g. made of polycarbonate)

Protective glasses

Labcoat
Sterilisation of liquids
Please note that liquids in a load have a thermal capacity bigger than the steam in the chamber. For
this reason they're always a "step behind" the temperature measured in the chamber. The more
viscous or bulky the liquid is, the more this phenomenon may occur.
So, when the chamber is less than 100 °C, liquid inside the load can be at a temperature higher than
this. Consequently if the autoclave is opened, liquid inside (that is at a much higher temperature)
may come out in a turbulent manner and dirty the internal chamber or, (worst case) splash the
operator. If the container is closed it can explode.
If you're sterilising liquids, always consider at least a 20 °C difference between chamber and
temperature and load temperature. The instrument should therefore be opened at 50 °C.
We strongly recommend not to sterilise liquids in containers bigger than 2 litres.
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