GAS DETECTION & MONITORING
JOINED-UP THINKING
Gas safety is a topic that is rising up the agenda in many industries. Already a key priority area for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), it is widely expected that regulations in relation to gas safety will come under increasing – and stricter – focus in the future. There is clearly an ever-increasing attention to environmental considerations and the introduction of new and lesser known fuels, such as hydrogen, will drive further awareness of the topic.
However, while critical to the safety of many businesses, gas safety is often part of a broad portfolio of safety issues, and as a result, it can be a complex and challenging issue to address effectively. Furthermore, misconceptions and misunderstandings around the topic are common.
PORTABLE VS FIXED DETECTION DEVICES A key issue to be aware of is that different types of
monitoring and detection devices are needed for different settings and applications. For example, a common mistake (or ‘work around’) is for portable personal gas monitoring devices to be used instead of a permanent point detector. Portable monitors are battery powered, which introduces an opportunity for human error if they are not sufficiently charged and they are therefore unsuitable for constant monitoring requirements.
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Simon Hopwood at Draeger Safety UK, dispels some common misconceptions surrounding gas safety in the workplace and offers advice on selecting an effective monitoring system.
Additionally, their alarms are designed to be heard or seen when worn about the person, so are not sufficiently loud to warn someone on the other side of a room, or other large space. Most importantly, they cannot warn an operative when an area is safe to enter (outside of that space) without having to enter the hazardous area in the first place. Plus, if we consider hydrogen, which at 14 times lighter than air will rapidly rise, any collection of a gas cloud will be near the ceiling and thus well out of reach of any portable device.
Using fixed permanent gas detection removes the opportunity for human error, or risk taking in situations where, for example, a portable device may have run out of charge but due to operational or production pressures, the temptation might be to enter an area of risk anyway, on the assumption that it is only for a short time. There have been cases of this happening where carbon dioxide, a largely odourless and colourless gas, has been present and fatalities have occurred as a result.
DANGERS OF CUTTING CORNERS There are also examples of short cuts being taken to
save money. Consider, a meat-processing factory that uses carbon dioxide and nitrogen in the packaging process. Both gases pose serious risks at certain concentrations. Yet it is not unheard of for a business
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