Interlocking The Hutch


ONLY TRAINED PERSONNEL ARE ALLOWED TO INTERLOCK THE HUTCH

The X-ray beam may be switched on only after the experimental area, the hutch, has been made safe ie interlocked. No personnel should be left inside the hutch after the interlock procedure is complete. A series of warnings and safety mechanisms are deployed, and must not be tampered with. The main shutter for Line 14 is called Port 14 and can be controlled only from the Machine Control Room. When the port is open, the station shutters may be opened only after the hutch has been interlocked, allowing the beam to illuminate the optical elements downstream. At this stage beam is actually in the hutch and stopped only by the camera shutter.

The search procedure is activated via the search control box situated to the left of the hutch door below the big yellow box and is carried out as follows.
Hutch Search Procedure
These are functional instructions only. You must also be aware of the safety requirements contained in the Local Rules for the SRS Experimental and Ancillary Areas
  • Start Search:

    Turn the knob on the search control box to the ON position, and swip your card through the slot. An audible bleeper will start sounding, to warn personnel in the hutch that it is about to be interlocked and they should leave (If the bleeper only operates while the Start button is depressed: the station-key may have been removed. For help contact the Station Manager, or the SRS Control Room extension 3560).

  • Hutch Search:
  • Go inside the hutch, ensuring there are no personnel still inside, then press the internal search-point button (the green button on the far wall) and vacate the hutch.

    The search must be done by a single person.

    NOTE !
    It is not sufficient to expect other people, who might be in the hutch, to hear the siren.
    The person searching the hutch MUST ensure no one is left behind.

  • Complete Search:
  • Once back outside, close the hutch door and push the SEARCH COMPLETE button. The bleeper will stop. Ensure that the electric door-lock engages correctly. This procedure should be completed within one minute, otherwise it will have to be restarted from scratch. A 20-second warning period will now commence, during which the hutch lights will be switched off and a blue light switched on. At the end of this period, you will be able to open the station shutter. The Hutch Interlocked light will come on above the door It is now safe to open the station shutter and let x-rays into the hutch.

Yellow Emergency Beam Off

Pressing one of these will unlock the hutch immediately, and close the Station and Port shutters. There is one Emergency-Off button outside the hutch, and two inside. If you find yourself in a locked hutch as indicated by illumination of the internal signs Danger X-Rays, Press Emergency Off press an Emergency-Off button immediately.

Emergency Crash-Out plate

This mechanically over-rides the electric door-lock from within the hutch, and is provided in case the lock fails to release after pressing an Emergency-Off button. Note that the Emergency-Off buttons cause immediate closure of the shutters thus removing the danger of X-rays and should therefore be used in preference to the Crash-Out plate. If you press an Emergency-Off button (even by accident), or use the emergency crash-out, report to the SRS Control Room (extension 3560), as the Operations Team are required to investigate the event prior to re-opening the Port.

  • Re-entering the Hutch:
  • To go back into the hutch, the search control box can be switches to OFF. The electric door-lock will release when the station shutter has fully closed (switching off will close the shutter). Until then the interna blue light will come on. The first person to enter the hutch must use the Geiger Counter to check the experimental area for radiation.

Opening the Station Shutter

The Station Radiation Shutter is controlled via the PC called bl14vig5 situated next to the door. To start the control program, doubleclick on the icon shown right.

This should cause a window to appear showing a diagram of the beamline, complete with all the valves, ion pumps/gauges, mirror, slits and mono etc.

Check the colour of the item marked W14.STOP.01. It should be green for open. If it is yellow or red, double click it with the mouse. This will open a control window like the one shown below. Click the RESET and OPEN buttons. Once this is open it should not be closed because that would affect station 14.2. Now double click the item W14.STOP.02 on the beamline diagram to open its control window. Click the RESET and OPEN buttons to let x-rays into the hutch.


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