Furnaces Risk Assessment

Activity

This assessment covers the use of:

• electric tube furnaces with open tube vessels for high-temperature chemical reactions

• sealed tube reaction vessels.

This assessment may not be adequate for reactions involving pyrophoric gases or materials.

Hazard and Risk

The principal hazards are:

• burns from contact with hot surfaces or materials

• trauma injury by violent rupture of the reaction vessel

• toxic effects by exposure to fume or hazardous substances

• fire and explosion by the release and ignition of flammable or explosive substances

• electric shock by contact with the heating element or other live conductors.