Three main hazards occur at PHELIX:
- intense laser radiation (the laser bay can be seen as a walk-in laser of class 4),
- high voltage applied at the pre-amplifier, and
- high voltage applied at the main amplifier (the HV-room can be seen as a walk-in power supply).
A safety responsible person takes care for the safety of the staff. All technical instrumentation, procedures, and measures base on a risk evaluation in which the different hazards are named and counteractions are defined. Main issue for the staff is the safety instruction each person must get before being allowed to work at PHELIX.
The PHELIX interlock system (PILS) is set up to ensure safe operation by technical equipment. Three clearances (laser, preamplifier, and main amplifier clearance) which require several conditions allow for operation of the related subsystems. The mode is indicated everywhere in the laser building, thus the employees can behave adequate. If required by dedicated experiments, a controlled radiation area is set up in the laser building.
If PHELIX serves as light source for experiments outside the laser building, the responsibility for personal safety including the communication procedure with the experimental area is clearly defined: The responsibility for the external area is assumed there. By two graduated requests (laser and shot request) which can be claimed or cancelled anytime by the experiment, safe operation is ensured.
