Guiding you in the right direction

Scott Safety tells HSM about its new free guide to gas
which is designed to be a definitive reference resource on
the subject

The issue of air quality is one that
workers in many industries
around the world face. The air
that we breathe is made up of a number
of different gases and if the balance of
these gases is altered, or an additional,
harmful gas introduced, our safety can
be compromised. According to HSE
statistics, in 2009/10 there were 7 fatal
injuries, 91 non-fatal injuries and 162
over-3-day injuries as a result of
poisoning and/or exposure to harmful
gasses, indicating that although there are
many forms of gas detection products
and respiratory protective equipment
(RPE) available, there are still a worrying
number of deaths and injuries to
workers in hazardous environments.

There are many varieties of gas detection
monitors and systems on the market, that
offer high levels of protection, however
knowing which product is suitable for
specific types of application can be
confusing.

As an industry expert in gas detection,
Scott Safety is an expert in the dangers of
contact with toxic and combustible gases
and the wide range of health issues that
can result from exposure. Knowing the
dangers, Scott Safety has produced its
own detailed Gas Detection Reference
Guide to help others understand and
identify the properties and hazards of the
gases that can enter the workspace and
how best to protect themselves. The
guide includes specific information on the
different types of technology used in gas
detection, the benefits and limitations of
the different sensor types and how they
can be best utilised to provide the safest
protection.

Know your gases
Hazardous gas monitoring is a danger
that many different industries face,
including Petrochemical, Oil and Gas,
Pharmaceutical, Wastewater Treatment
Facilities. The Scott Safety Guide breaks
each industry down into the potential
activities that would require the need for
gas detection and the notable gases that
could be present, or not. Understanding
the different types of gases and the
dangers that they can pose to people is the
first step in choosing the correct form of
gas detection. The guide lists the different
gases that could be present within a
workplace and the affects they can have,
such as suffocation, cancer or causing
explosions. Even the most common gases,
such as oxygen and nitrogen can have
devastating affects if present in dangerous
levels. Each gas has certain exposure limits
(the concentration to which workers can
be exposed continuously for a short
period of time), which are broken down
into; permissible exposure limit, short
term exposure limit and threshold limit
value. The combustible gas reference table
and toxic gas reference table within the
Guide, set out the different gases, their
various limits as listed above and the
lowest airborne concentration that can be
detected by smell along with a ‘how to’
section verifying how to use the tables.

Fixed versus portable
detection
The most common application in
hazardous atmosphere monitoring is the
use of mounted, fixed gas detection
systems. These are set up to provide
continuous monitoring in areas where
leaks, ruptures or releases of hazardous
gases are likely to occur. Designing a gas
detection system, that meets requirements
and protects the workers, comprises of a
number of components and can be
customised to suit differing needs. When
designing a fixed gas detection system the
following areas need to be considered:
Understand the application
Identify the potential danger points
Establish the response functions
Determine gas characteristics
Profile the facility
Portable gas detection is a handheld or
body mounted system of sensors that
provide protection to an individual user,
with the use of visual, audible and
vibratory alarms. Portable gas detectors
can usually be configured in different
sensor combinations for use in multiple
applications including confined space
entry, where fixed gas detectors are not
available or to verify that an atmosphere
is not hazardous when servicing a fixed
gas detection system.

Gas detection standards
explained
As with many products that are made to
protect people, the standards and
approvals for gas detection are numerous
and can be confusing. It is important to
understand the many markings that can
appear on the products and their
significance and value. Within the Guide,
Scott Safety has dedicated a section to
each different standard or approval to
clearly define what they mean and how
they should be applied to the different gas
detection products, including:
Hazardous area classifications
Protection methods and standards
NEMA classifications/Ingress
protection
CE Marking
This Gas Detection Reference Guide is
an essential tool for those with a
responsibility for managing safe working
environments in industries where
conditions may be compromised by toxic
and combustible gases. Understanding the
serious issues that workers in these
situations face and the complex decisions
that need to be made in order to protect
them, Scott Safety is making the Guide
available free on its website, please visit
www.scottsafety.com/gasdetectionguide.