Safety 1-1

Section 1
Safety
Read this section before using the equipment. This section contains
recommendations and practices applicable to the safe installation, operation,
and maintenance (hereafter referred to as “use”) of the product described in
this document (hereafter referred to as “equipment”). Additional safety
information, in the form of task‐specific safety alert messages, appears as
appropriate throughout this document.

WARNING! Failure to follow the safety messages, recommendations, and

hazard avoidance procedures provided in this document can result in
personal injury, including death, or damage to equipment or property.

Safety Alert Symbols

The following safety alert symbol and signal words are used throughout this
document to alert the reader to personal safety hazards or to identify
conditions that may result in damage to equipment or property. Comply with
all safety information that follows the signal word.

WARNING! Indicates a potentially hazardous situation that, if not avoided,

can result in serious personal injury, including death.

CAUTION! Indicates a potentially hazardous situation that, if not avoided,

can result in minor or moderate personal injury.

CAUTION! (Used without the safety alert symbol) Indicates a potentially

hazardous situation that, if not avoided, can result in damage to equipment or
property.

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Responsibilities of the Equipment Owner

Equipment owners are responsible for managing safety information, ensuring
that all instructions and regulatory requirements for use of the equipment are
met, and for qualifying all potential users.

Safety Information
 Research and evaluate safety information from all applicable sources,
including the owner‐specific safety policy, best industry practices,
governing regulations, material manufacturer's product information, and
this document.
 Make safety information available to equipment users in accordance with
governing regulations. Contact the authority having jurisdiction for
information.
 Maintain safety information, including the safety labels affixed to the
equipment, in readable condition.

Instructions, Requirements, and Standards

 Ensure that the equipment is used in accordance with the information
provided in this document, governing codes and regulations, and best
industry practices.
 If applicable, receive approval from your facility's engineering or safety
department, or other similar function within your organization, before
installing or operating the equipment for the first time.
 Provide appropriate emergency and first aid equipment.
 Conduct safety inspections to ensure required practices are being
followed.
 Re‐evaluate safety practices and procedures whenever changes are
made to the process or equipment.

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User Qualifications
Equipment owners are responsible for ensuring that users:

 receive safety training appropriate to their job function as directed by

governing regulations and best industry practices
 are familiar with the equipment owner's safety and accident
prevention policies and procedures
 receive equipment‐ and task‐specific training from another qualified
individual
NOTE: Nordson can provide equipment‐specific installation,
operation, and maintenance training. Contact your Nordson
representative for information

 possess industry‐ and trade‐specific skills and a level of experience

appropriate to their job function
 are physically capable of performing their job function and are not
under the influence of any substance that degrades their mental
capacity or physical capabilities

Applicable Industry Safety Practices

The following safety practices apply to the use of the equipment in the
manner described in this document. The information provided here is not
meant to include all possible safety practices, but represents the best safety
practices for equipment of similar hazard potential used in similar industries.

Intended Use of the Equipment

 Use the equipment only for the purposes described and within the limits
specified in this document.
 Do not modify the equipment.
 Do not use incompatible materials or unapproved auxiliary devices.
Contact your Nordson representative if you have any questions on
material compatibility or the use of non‐standard auxiliary devices.

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Instructions and Safety Messages

 Read and follow the instructions provided in this document and other
referenced documents.
 Familiarize yourself with the location and meaning of the safety warning
labels and tags affixed to the equipment. Refer to Safety Labels and Tags
at the end of this section.
 If you are unsure of how to use the equipment, contact your Nordson
representative for assistance.

Installation Practices
 Install the equipment in accordance with the instructions provided in this
document and in the documentation provided with auxiliary devices.
 Ensure that the equipment is rated for the environment in which it will be
used. This equipment has not been certified for compliance with the
ATEX directive nor as nonincendive and should not be installed in
potentially explosive environments.
 Ensure that the processing characteristics of the material will not create a
hazardous environment. Refer to the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
for the material.
 If the required installation configuration does not match the installation
instructions, contact your Nordson representative for assistance.
 Position the equipment for safe operation. Observe the requirements for
clearance between the equipment and other objects.
 Install lockable power disconnects to isolate the equipment and all
independently powered auxiliary devices from their power sources.
 Properly ground all equipment. Contact your local building code
enforcement agency for specific requirements.
 Ensure that fuses of the correct type and rating are installed in fused
equipment.
 Contact the authority having jurisdiction to determine the requirement for
installation permits or inspections.

Operating Practices
 Familiarize yourself with the location and operation of all safety devices
and indicators.
 Confirm that the equipment, including all safety devices (guards,
interlocks, etc.), is in good working order and that the required
environmental conditions exist.
 Use the personal protective equipment (PPE) specified for each task.
Refer to Equipment Safety Information or the material manufacturer's
instructions and MSDS for PPE requirements.
 Do not use equipment that is malfunctioning or shows signs of a potential
malfunction.

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Maintenance and Repair Practices

 Allow only personnel with appropriate training and experience to operate
or service the equipment.
 Perform scheduled maintenance activities at the intervals described in
this document.
 Relieve system hydraulic and pneumatic pressure before servicing the
equipment.
 De‐energize the equipment and all auxiliary devices before servicing the
equipment.
 Use only new Nordson‐authorized refurbished or replacement parts.
 Read and comply with the manufacturer's instructions and the MSDS
supplied with equipment cleaning compounds.
NOTE: MSDSs for cleaning compounds that are sold by Nordson are
available at www.nordson.com or by calling your Nordson representative.

 Confirm the correct operation of all safety devices before placing the
equipment back into operation.
 Dispose of waste cleaning compounds and residual process materials
according to governing regulations. Refer to the applicable MSDS or
contact the authority having jurisdiction for information.
 Keep equipment safety warning labels clean. Replace worn or damaged
labels.

Equipment Safety Information

This equipment safety information is applicable to the following types of
Nordson equipment:

 hot melt and cold adhesive application equipment and all related
accessories
 pattern controllers, timers, detection and verification systems, and all
other optional process control devices

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Equipment Shutdown
To safely complete many of the procedures described in this document, the
equipment must first be shut down. The level of shut down required varies by
the type of equipment in use and the procedure being completed.
If required, shut down instructions are specified at the start of the procedure.
The levels of shut down are:

Relieving System Hydraulic Pressure

Completely relieve system hydraulic pressure before breaking any hydraulic
connection or seal. Refer to the melter‐specific product manual for
instructions on relieving system hydraulic pressure.

De‐energizing the System

Isolate the system (melter, hoses, applicators, and optional devices) from all
power sources before accessing any unprotected high‐voltage wiring or
connection point.

1. Turn off the equipment and all auxiliary devices connected to the
equipment (system).
2. To prevent the equipment from being accidentally energized, lock and
tag the disconnect switch(es) or circuit breaker(s) that provide input
electrical power to the equipment and optional devices.
NOTE: Government regulations and industry standards dictate specific
requirements for the isolation of hazardous energy sources. Refer to the
appropriate regulation or standard.

Disabling the Applicators

NOTE: Adhesive dispensing applicators are referred to as “guns” in some
previous publications.

All electrical or mechanical devices that provide an activation signal to the

applicators, applicator solenoid valve(s), or the melter pump must be
disabled before work can be performed on or around an applicator that is
connected to a pressurized system.

1. Turn off or disconnect the applicator triggering device (pattern controller,

timer, PLC, etc.).
2. Disconnect the input signal wiring to the applicator solenoid valve(s).
3. Reduce the air pressure to the applicator solenoid valve(s) to zero; then
relieve the residual air pressure between the regulator and the applicator.

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General Safety Warnings and Cautions

Table 1‐1 contains the general safety warnings and cautions that apply to
Nordson hot melt and cold adhesive equipment. Review the table and
carefully read all of the warnings or cautions that apply to the type of
equipment described in this manual.

Equipment types are designated in Table 1‐1 as follows:

HM = Hot melt (melters, hoses, applicators, etc.)

PC = Process control
CA = Cold adhesive (dispensing pumps, pressurized container, and
applicators)

Table 1‐1 General Safety Warnings and Cautions

Equipment
Type Warning or Caution

WARNING! Hazardous vapors! Before processing any polyurethane

reactive (PUR) hot melt or solvent‐based material through a compatible
HM Nordson melter, read and comply with the material's MSDS. Ensure
that the material's processing temperature and flashpoints will not be
exceeded and that all requirements for safe handling, ventilation, first
aid, and personal protective equipment are met. Failure to comply with
MSDS requirements can cause personal injury, including death.

WARNING! Reactive material! Never clean any aluminum component

or flush Nordson equipment with halogenated hydrocarbon fluids.
HM Nordson melters and applicators contain aluminum components that
may react violently with halogenated hydrocarbons. The use of
halogenated hydrocarbon compounds in Nordson equipment can
cause personal injury, including death.

WARNING! System pressurized! Relieve system hydraulic pressure

HM, CA before breaking any hydraulic connection or seal. Failure to relieve the
system hydraulic pressure can result in the uncontrolled release of hot
melt or cold adhesive, causing personal injury.

Continued...

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General Safety Warnings and Cautions (contd)

Table 1‐1 General Safety Warnings and Cautions (contd)

Equipment
Type Warning or Caution

WARNING! Molten material! Wear eye or face protection, clothing that

HM protects exposed skin, and heat‐protective gloves when servicing
equipment that contains molten hot melt. Even when solidified, hot melt
can still cause burns. Failure to wear appropriate personal protective
equipment can result in personal injury.

WARNING! Equipment starts automatically! Remote triggering devices

are used to control automatic hot melt applicators. Before working on
HM, PC or near an operating applicator, disable the applicator's triggering
device and remove the air supply to the applicator's solenoid valve(s).
Failure to disable the applicator's triggering device and remove the
supply of air to the solenoid valve(s) can result in personal injury.

WARNING! Risk of electrocution! Even when switched off and

electrically isolated at the disconnect switch or circuit breaker, the
HM, CA, PC equipment may still be connected to energized auxiliary devices.
De‐energize and electrically isolate all auxiliary devices before
servicing the equipment. Failure to properly isolate electrical power to
auxiliary equipment before servicing the equipment can result in
personal injury, including death.

WARNING! Risk of fire or explosion! Nordson adhesive equipment is

not rated for use in explosive environments and has not been cerfified
for the ATEX directive or as nonincendive. In addition, this equipment
HM, CA, PC should not be used with solvent‐based adhesives that can create an
explosive atmosphere when processed. Refer to the MSDS for the
adhesive to determine its processing characteristics and limitations.
The use of incompatible solvent‐based adhesives or the improper
processing of solvent‐based adhesives can result in personal injury,
including death.

Continued...

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Table 1‐1 General Safety Warnings and Cautions (contd)

Equipment
Type Warning or Caution

WARNING! Allow only personnel with appropriate training and

HM, CA, PC experience to operate or service the equipment. The use of untrained
or inexperienced personnel to operate or service the equipment can
result in injury, including death, to themselves and others and can
damage to the equipment.

CAUTION! Hot surfaces! Avoid contact with the hot metal surfaces of
HM applicators, hoses, and certain components of the melter. If contact
can not be avoided, wear heat‐protective gloves and clothing when
working around heated equipment. Failure to avoid contact with hot
metal surfaces can result in personal injury.

CAUTION! Some Nordson melters are specifically designed to

process polyurethane reactive (PUR) hot melt. Attempting to process
PUR in equipment not specifically designed for this purpose can
HM
damage the equipment and cause premature reaction of the hot melt. If
you are unsure of the equipment's ability to process PUR, contact your
Nordson representative for assistance.

CAUTION! Before using any cleaning or flushing compound on or in

the equipment, read and comply with the manufacturer's instructions
HM, CA and the MSDS supplied with the compound. Some cleaning
compounds can react unpredictably with hot melt or cold adhesive,
resulting in damage to the equipment.

CAUTION! Nordson hot melt equipment is factory tested with Nordson

Type R fluid that contains polyester adipate plasticizer. Certain hot melt
HM materials can react with Type R fluid and form a solid gum that can
clog the equipment. Before using the equipment, confirm that the hot
melt is compatible with Type R fluid.

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Other Safety Precautions

 Do not use an open flame to heat hot melt system components.
 Check high pressure hoses daily for signs of excessive wear, damage, or
leaks.
 Never point a dispensing handgun at yourself or others.
 Suspend dispensing handguns by their proper suspension point.

First Aid
If molten hot melt comes in contact with your skin:

1. Do NOT attempt to remove the molten hot melt from your skin.
2. Immediately soak the affected area in clean, cold water until the hot melt
has cooled.
3. Do NOT attempt to remove the solidified hot melt from your skin.
4. In case of severe burns, treat for shock.
5. Seek expert medical attention immediately. Give the MSDS for the hot
melt to the medical personnel providing treatment.

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Safety Labels and Tags

Figure 1‐1 illustrates the location of the product safety labels and tags affixed
to the equipment. Table 1‐2 provides an illustration of the hazard
identification symbols that appear on each safety label and tag, the meaning
of the symbol, or the exact wording of any safety message.

The installation kit provided with the melter may contain label overlays that
are printed in a variety of languages. If required by governing safety
regulations, apply the appropriate overlay to the text portion of the labels
shown in Figure 1‐1.

2
3

5 4

Figure 1‐1 Location of safety labels and tags

Table 1‐2 General Safety Warnings and Cautions

Item Description
WARNING
Burn hazard.
1 Hot adhesive.
Release pressure before servicing.

CAUTION
2 Burn Hazard. Hot Surfaces.

WARNING
Burn hazard.
3 Hot adhesive.
Release pressure before servicing.

WARNING
4 Hazardous voltage.
Disconnect all power supply connections before servicing.

5 Symbol means: Hot Surface! Do not touch.

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Issued 10−11  2014 Nordson Corporation