IGD's Guide to The Laws of Gas Detection
Here at IGD, there’s one question we hear more than any other, and time and time again we give the same answer.
Do I need gas detection?
Yes you do.
Well, that’s the short version anyway.
However, to really understand why gas detection is an essential part of safety in every industry, we’ll have to take a closer look at the risks of not implementing gas detection and the complex nature of the government legislation that covers it.
It would be easy enough to provide an exhaustive, and pretty scary, list of every historical disaster that could’ve been prevented through the implementation of a gas detection solution; a list that, at some point, would certainly feature the words Hindenburg and Bhopal.
But why look to the past when we can see the same mistakes still being made to this day? Today we’ll be focusing on a case that highlights many of the issues surrounding gas detection, from public awareness to obscure legislation.
Benzene Fatalities at The MoD
The Ministry of Defence is being sued by dozens of former employees who claim they were exposed to carcinogenic emissions from military helicopters, some of which are still in service. At least three former crew members have since died of cancer. Their lawyers claim that there is a direct link.
Fumes from the engines of these aircraft contain benzene carcinogens. Benzene (C6H6) is a colourless, and highly carcinogenic hydrocarbon, that has been found to increase the risk of bone marrow failure, acute leukaemia and cardiovascular diseases. Even low-level exposure to Benzene and other toxic gases can pose serious health risks. A portable gas detection solution is often your first line of defence against these gases providing you with At-a-Glance readings and exposure alerts.
So, how does something like this happen? While many gas-related accidents could be avoided through education and greater public awareness (which is the reason that we founded our free online Training Academy) government legislation on air quality should protect personnel.
Unfortunately, this legislation is pretty complex, so much so, that in this case, a government department seems to have been unable to follow its own guidance. Let’s break down the legality, and explore exactly why you need gas detection.
Understanding the Law
To better understand why the laws around gas management can be confusing we need a comparison.
Understanding something like fire safety law is pretty straightforward. Every commercial property needs a certain amount of smoke detectors to cover a certain amount of space. It’s black and white, but that’s because smoke detectors always do one thing; detect smoke.
There is no law that states that you need a certain amount of gas detectors or any at all. However, there are laws surrounding air quality and the management of gas risks and those gas risks can only be managed with the assistance of gas detection.
Clearing the Air
It may seem a little backwards, but there’s a reason for this. While smoke alarms only ever need to detect smoke, gas detection has to contend with an ever-growing list of hundreds of different gases and vapours, each of which has its own characteristics. Some settle near the ground, some pool on the ceiling, some are toxic, others are flammable and some are asphyxiants. Providing separate legislation for every individual gas would be incredibly complex. Instead, the government provides laws on air quality, specifically regarding limitations on the flammability or toxicity of an atmosphere.
For example, oxygen levels must never fall below 19.5%, flammable gas concentrations should never exceed 25% of their designated lower explosive limit, and toxic gases have specific time-weighted-average and short-term exposure limits. The only way to ensure that you’re adhering to those regulations is with gas detection.
The Regulations: COSHH & DSEAR
COSHH
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations mandate that employers evaluate the dangers associated with using hazardous substances. This evaluation must cover plans for handling accidents, incidents, or emergencies, including significant spillages. The Healthy and Safety Executive (HSE) published a document under COSHH called EH40/2005 Workplace Exposure Limits. It covers legislated toxic gases in the UK, setting out legal 8-hour (time-weighted exposure) and 15-minute exposure limits for each gas. Information on these exposure limits can be found on the HSE website. IGD’s century of experience enables us to provide you with the guidance and support needed to protect yourself against diverse toxic gas threats.
DSEAR
The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations mandate the evaluation and management of the potential risk to personnel from fires or explosions caused by hazardous substances in the workplace. You are required to mitigate or minimise these risks to the extent that is feasibly possible. DSEAR regulations mandate that flammable atmospheres must be avoided by ensuring that flammable gas concentrations do not exceed 25% of their Lower Explosive Limit (LEL). IGD engineers and consultants are COMPEx trained and well-equipped to mitigate these gas hazards by providing planning, installation, onsite support and advice on your setup.
ACOPS
Approved Codes of Practice are documents issued by the HSE that provide practical guidance on compliance with specific regulations. For example, the ACOPS laid out by the British Compressed Gas Association Guidance states that:
(i) As a minimum the oxygen concentration in the workplace should be maintained above 19.5 %.
(ii) Atmospheres containing less than 18 % oxygen are potentially dangerous and entry into such areas must be prohibited unless appropriate safety controls are adopted.
Compliance with standards is not an option. To avoid legal repercussions you must be equipped with a gas detection system that adheres to these standards. These regulations are specific to the UK, but all regions will have their own regulations and guidance on air quality.
While ACOPS these may not be legislative documents, failure to comply with them holds the same weight in court.
The IGD Solution
While the regulations provide clarity on gas risk management, dealing with that many gases, exposure limits and lower explosive limits is still a daunting task. Fortunately, IGD’s pioneering 2-Wire Addressable systems can take care of everything for you. IGD’s dedicated account managers can give advice, survey sites and design your perfect gas detection system.
Our Plug-and-Play sensors come individually calibrated for over 700 gases and vapours. Our 2-Wire Addressable systems provide clear, immediate digital data, live readings, event logs, and remote monitoring capabilities. This means that you’ll be alerted to any issue as soon as it arises. Our simple 2-Wire setup also reduces installation costs and makes servicing and maintenance as easy as possible.
Contact Us
Get in touch with us today to find out how we can provide you with the perfect gas detection solution. Check out how we provided The National Theatre with a compliant car park gas detection system in our case study.
