More than a multigas detector
April 1st 2008

More and more in the modern workplace the portable multigas detector is widely relied upon to protect its wearers from the hazards caused by various toxic and flammable gases no matter where they are or what they are doing. For many applications the instrument configuration is most commonly combustible gas, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide and oxygen deficiency.

Detection of these four gases covers applications in industries such as oil and gas, chemical, utilities, steel, manufacturing and the fire service. To be an integral part of the safety process in these industries the chosen instrument has to be durable, compact, lightweight and easy to use. Once the gas configuration has been decided upon, the type of instrument used has to be considered , commented Greig Thompson Portable Instruments marketing manager for MSA Europe at a recent seminar.

Mr Thompson then went on to say that it is widely recognised that progress never ends, no matter what form and no matter how far. In industry the development is practised by the manufacturer and is expected by the customer, whether it is in the automotive industry, the electronics industry, the food industry or any other industry.

Wherever the improvement of a product can provide a significant competitive advantage and therefore the upper hand when it comes to competing in the market place, then this development will be pursued. It is not only the products which are evolving. Safety standards have developed to ensure the next generation of products which reach the market perform better and are safer than the previous generation with ATEX being the perfect example.

It comes as no great surprise to learn that in the portable gas detection market the same demands for development are there from the customer and this has driven the development of devices like the ALTAIR range of multigas enhanced instruments from MSA. Since instruments are now used with greater regularity they have to be able to resist the rigours of being bumped and bashed by the wearer and still be able to provide accurate information, time after time, which could lead to lives being saved.

Reliability is a must and it is imperative the instrument can be relied upon to perform when required and not spend more time in the workshop than in the field. In a market not known for the cleanliness of the surroundings or the care given to portable instruments by the users, the latest addition to the range stated Mr Thompson, the ALTAIR 4, is designed to withstand the harshest treatment, passing a 3m drop-test and having an IP rating of 67, which has been independently certified by a third party. On top of being arguably the toughest instrument in the market the ALTAIR 4 is equipped with one of the largest displays and lightest housings of any multigas detector.

Portable instruments in general and how they operate can be seen as being extremely two dimensional; they detect gas and they alert the wearer and those in close proximity to the alarm with audible, visual and vibrating alarms. This has been the industry standard for many years now but the MSA has added a third dimension to the ALTAIR 4: MotionAlert. MotionAlert is a man-down alarm, a unique feature in the portable gas detection market, which will alert the wearer that they have not moved in the last 20 seconds and if the ALTAIR 4 detects no further motion after another 10 seconds it will alert those in close proximity with the full MotionAlert alarm. This can be chosen as an option for the ALTAIR 4.

In many confined space applications workers have to wear half or full facemasks and in such cases it can be extremely difficult for wearers to communicate, especially when there is poor visibility. The ALTAIR 4's InstantAlert feature allows the user to activate the instrument alarm simply with a press of a button. This enables the wearer to draw attention to themselves should they be in distress and/or require assistance.

If a bump check (gas response test) is not carried out there is no way of knowing the sensors of any instrument are working properly. Once the ALTAIR 4 is bump tested a checkmark will appear on the display and will remain for 24 hours. This provides the wearer with the added confidence that, not only are the alarms working correctly, but the sensors are working correctly and responding to gas. All this is market leading technology application made to provide the user with the best reliability and ease of use there is today. These are the driving forces behind the market to day and are not likely to change at all, only for better practical enhancements to continue to come onto the market at a faster and faster pace were the final comments from Mr Thompson.

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