Top 10 Reasons Your Gas Detection System Won’t Work 

Your gas detection system on site is installed to offer continuous monitoring of hazardous gases to protect you, your plant and your employees.

Your system needs to be frequently serviced to ensure that it is in full working order. However, sometimes problems can appear out of the blue causing unforeseen costs and problems

Keep safe and get a head start on these problems by looking out for these 10 tell tale signs;

1. Sensor Placement: gas sensor placement is crucial in providing the right protection for your plant and personnel. Well positioned sensors will increase plant safety. Gas density and air flow should be considered when positioning sensors.
2. Sensor drift: all sensors drift over a period of time. Sensor drift represents a change in accuracy, and is problematic for two reasons – false alarming or worse yet, failure to alarm.
3. Sensor Failure: All gas sensors have a life span and regular bump testing will you give you confidence in their performance. If this hasn’t happened for a while, the chances are that the sensor may fail to respond to the target gas.
4. Environmental exposure: Sensors are typically exposed to some of the harshest process conditions on a daily basis. Dust or water vapours can get in to the sensor over time and prevent gases from accessing the draw point.
5. Failing alarm indicator: Is your warning system suitable for the area? Loud enough? Bright enough? False alarming? Do your colleagues believe in the alarm?
6. Communications failure: Is your system fail-safe? If there is a communication fault within the system are you confident that you will be notified?
7. Power failure / power surge: A surge of power to the control panel can cause overload to the CPU and cause it to burn out.
8. Assumption: With toxic and flammable gases, the detector will always display zero (0) which suggests that the sensor is working when actually, there’s a chance it isn’t. How can you be sure a zero reading is a positive thing unless you bump test the gas detector?
9. Gas interference: Cross interference from other gases can compromise the performance of a gas sensor, altering the calibration curve will result in false or inaccurate readings.
10. Component failure:  Like everything else your gas detectors are prone to wear and tear. You need to ensure you’re carrying out regular checks of each component to maximise system performance.

Here at a1-cbiss (UK) we have recently launched a free gas detection system health check designed to make people aware of some of these issues and how they can result in problems. The free system health check from a1-cbiss is for any site with an active fixed gas detection system. We can help you assess the condition of your gas detection program and give you personalised advice on how to improve plant safety. Sign up for your free system health check www.a1-cbiss.com/free-system-health-check