Gas Monitors

[Desserts]

On 08/06/2020 at 15:40, ChrisW said:

Yep!  LFB have invested in the mark V Olfaction 2000 for it's monitoring.  Each appliance carries at least four dual intake detectors which are personal issue and operated for the duration of the shift. They are calibrated to detect tiny amounts of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen sulphide and ammonia, quickly identifying the source and helping establish a hazard zone. They don't require any routine maintenance but do occasionally suffer from cross contamination resulting in false positives, where these are indicated a bump test will be used to reset the device.

The HSE have been raising questions about how often bump testing should be done. Some manufactures state monthly some weekly. The HSE have questioned whether they should be bump tested before each you as the bump test is confirmation that the flammability sensor is working. Based on this some commercial site are now insisting on daily bump testing.

One of the biggest problems in industry is the incorrect use of monitors when testing the atmosphere in confined spaces. Users are NOT checking the peak readings and are just assuming the work place is safe. When training people I always demonstrate use of the peak reading and checking the ppm for the long term exposure over the average 8 hour day.

Another thing that should be emphasised is the gas monitors are a data storage device. Therefore data downloads can easily be done and management and the HSE can check if they are being used and used correctly.

Various companies have used the data logging to prove accidents are the worker's fault because they either didn't use the GDU at all, ignored/reset the GDU after an alarm. The HSE also check the data logging when carrying out an investigation after a work placed safety event.

You do have to ask why it has taken so long for the fire service to start using them.

The MSA Altair do seem to be a favourite in industry. The newer ones I have are blue tooth as well!

[Br9mp81]

Bump test before entry into hazard zone, and one running at entry point.iirc

 

[Becile]

Interested as to how this is practically acheived on the fireground, if you did it for the 5 gas you'd need even more kit, /very expensive Gas.

Bump test

[Br9mp81]

yep and the sell by date on the test gases is not that long TBH, i suppose that a USAR or Hazchem/DIM test could justify a test daily.

However there are more than a few private CSR teams on the market these days

 

[Becile]

Even the gas detectors that are supplied and used by DIM are not bump tested to that degree. Pump test and O2 tested everything else zero readings.Even though it could be used as evidence in some quite high level incidents.

[Br9mp81]

I'm trying to get a training day run by the company that services them, i was running all sorts of things i wanted covered, but, at the end of the day they are coming to teach us to use a tool its up to us to do the fire stuff,one thing they do say is that the habit of turning on and off for 5 mins every shift change is not good the things designed to be tested and sit on someone for hours in a tank or sewer.

[Desserts]

On 19/05/2021 at 16:51, Br9mp81 said:

yep and the sell by date on the test gases is not that long TBH, i suppose that a USAR or Hazchem/DIM test could justify a test daily.

However there are more than a few private CSR teams on the market these days

Now I'm retired I deliver Confined space entry and rescue training and Tunnel entry and rescue training. We (the company I'm involved with) also supply rescue teams for industry and tunnelling.

I'm training gas monitors every day I work!

On 20/05/2021 at 20:00, Br9mp81 said:

I'm trying to get a training day run by the company that services them, i was running all sorts of things i wanted covered, but, at the end of the day they are coming to teach us to use a tool its up to us to do the fire stuff,one thing they do say is that the habit of turning on and off for 5 mins every shift change is not good the things designed to be tested and sit on someone for hours in a tank or sewer.

One thing you have to make sure is that you try and keep your "training" gas monitors separate to your "work" gas monitors because of the built in data logging. If you was to have a real life safety event a "training" monitor would show loads of unrecorded false alarms