By: Allan McNeill, McNeill International
e-mail:   info@gasdetectionsolutions.com
Website:  www.gasdetectionsolutions.com
Ph#  770-664-7278

Workers/Operators/Owners of Gas Detection Monitoring devices often have little understanding of how the Monitor works or even if the monitor is working. Another very important aspect is: dothe workers know what to do if the monitor alarms?

Workers and Employers are using Gas Monitoring to protect their health, safety, lives and the physical workplaces.

Gas Monitors must be turned on, remain on, and remain in the area where work is being performed.

However, in order to be sure the Gas Monitor will respond to dangerous gas leaks or buildups of toxic or explosive gases, the Gas Monitor (portable or fixed) must be tested with a known concentration of target gas to verify that the sensor responds and the instrument functions properly.

Traditionally, gas monitors were periodically calibrated with a known source of target gas at some periodic time interval.  Most instruments were determined to be “in calibration”. However, many instruments were not located or could not be accessed for this calibration procedure.

Gas Monitors that are not calibrated may appear to be working properly. However, non calibrated instruments cause serious concern to safety professionals. Instruments that are not calibrated can have unnecessary false alarms, or may not alarm, which could cause dangerous situations when gas concentrations build.

Ten years ago instrument manufacturers began developing technology for automatic testing of portable gas monitors and a record keeping of calibration testing.

The safety/industrial hygiene industry has also begun “bump” testing. “Bump” testing exposes the instrument to a quick sniff of a known source of gas. The “bump” testing does not verify accuracy. A “bump” test only verifies that the monitor is responding to the presence of the gas to which the instrument was exposed.

Instruments that do not pass a “bump” test should not be used without first being serviced including a gas calibration.

Today it is not unusual to find portable gas monitors to be “bumped” or calibrated every time before they are used.

Operators of gas monitors need to be trained on how their gas monitors work, and how the monitors protect lives, health and property.

“Bump” testing or calibration is the only way to know: IS MY GAS MONITOR WORKING?