Important:
This safety notice is about a potentially dangerous issue which could cause physical harm and that affects the CD ROM drive fitted to computers produced between June 1999 and July 2001. It affects computers manufactured by a number of companies, not just RM. It explains the issue, explains what you should do next, and answers your questions.
The key points of this notice are:

• Do not use CD ROM disks that are cracked.
• If cracked CD ROM disks are used in high speed CD ROM drives they can be dangerous.
• It affects computers manufactured by a number of companies.
• We have identified the RM computers that are affected.

What is the problem?
We have found that in very rare circumstances, some high speed CD ROM drives (48X or higher speed) can become dangerous when used with CD ROM disks with small cracks. The result is that the disk can be damaged further or shattered and, in very exceptional circumstances, fragments of the broken disk can be expelled through the front cover of the drive at high speed. This could cause serious physical injury. We have confirmed that the problem can only occur when a damaged CD ROM disk is used in the CD ROM drive.

What products does this affect?
We believe this issue also affects computers made by other manufacturers, and if you have concerns we would advise you to talk to your other suppliers.

What is the solution to the problem?
We have confirmed that the problem can only occur when a damaged CD ROM disk is used in the CD ROM drive. Our recommendations are:

• Users should check all CD ROMs before each use, to ensure that they contain no cracks. If they are cracked you should not use them in any 48X or higher speed CD ROM drive.

• Cracks are more likely in poor quality media which we believe have become significantly more prevalent recently and are made of more brittle materials. Our care recommendations for CDs are:
  • When not in use remove CDs from the computer.
  • Always store CDs in the packaging supplied with them.
  • Always store CDs out of direct sunlight, and away from heat sources.

What do I need to do? We can only give advice about RM computers. In RM computers some, but not all, 48X and 52X speed drives are affected. This issue does not affect any RM computers manufactured since the end of July 2001, and does not affect any RM NoteBook computers. You should immediately advise all users of RM computers with high speed CD ROM drives that each time they put a CD ROM in the drive they should check to ensure that the disk does not contain cracks. They should not use any media that has a crack.

How fast do I need to act?
You must ensure that CD ROM disk checking is communicated to all computer users, and implemented immediately. This is because it could cause serious injury to continue to use
CD ROM disks with cracks in high speed CD ROM drives.

What do I do if I find a cracked CD ROM disk?
You should immediately stop using it in high speed CD ROM drives.

You should contact the original supplier of the CD ROM disk for enquiries about replacement disks. If RM was the original supplier, you can find out details about ordering replacement disks on our website (www.rm.com/safety) or contact our Freephone Advice Line.

Do I need to stop using CD ROMs altogether in my computers?
No, as long as you ensure that every CD ROM is checked for cracks before each use. Also, this issue only affects 48X or higher speed CD ROM drives. We have provided stickers for you to apply to the front of your CD ROM drives, to remind users that they should always check CD ROM media before use.

Is RM doing any more research?
Yes, in association with drive manufacturers we are conducting extensive research into the safety of different CD ROM drives and CD ROM media. We will publish more information as soon as this is completed. All of this information will be available on our website (www.rm.com/safety), and additionally, when there is any further specific advice about the RM computers in use in your establishment we will write to you directly with the information.

How can I find out more?
We have published extensive information on our web site at www.rm.com/safety. This includes all of the relevant background information, in-depth technical analyses, and a constantly updated Questions and Answers section. You can also put in any RM computer serial number to check whether it is affected by this notice.

What does a cracked CD look like?
The illustration shows a portion of a CD ROM with a small crack. This is an example of the kind of crack you should examine your CDs for. You do not need to discard CDs that only have light scratches on the metallic surface of the CD.

Click to enlarge