Functional Bump Testing: A key to any Personal Gas Detection Safety Program

The only thing worse than a gas detector you know is not working properly, is the gas detector that you do not know is not working properly. The Training and Safety Officer of a major Fire Department discovered by chance that a combustible gas sensor in one of the department’s portable multi-gas detectors was not working, and the instrument gave them no indication at startup this sensor was faulty. Two firefighters were responding to a warehouse incident and while investigating, one firefighter’s gas detector went into high combustible gas alarm and the other detector did not respond. Upon further testing at the fire station it was determined that the combustible sensor in the suspect instrument was not functioning properly.