The article was originally featured on ISHN
The attention to safety is the top concern for every company across every industry. Companies are spending a significant amount of money each year providing safety training, PPE, and other safety devices for their employees. If possible, the first course of action for employers is to try and engineer out the safety risk. If an engineered solution to remove the safety concern is not feasible, then companies are taking the next steps by providing the necessary equipment in order to mitigate danger. This can include items such as hand held portable gas monitors, fixed gas detection instrumentation, fall protection equipment, and many more based on the hazard present.
In the oil and gas industry, one of the potentially always present dangers is the presence of toxic gases such as hydrogen sulfide or carbon monoxide. These are two of the most common toxic gases found across the globe and highly present in the oil and gas industry. Another always potentially present hazard is the presence of combustible gases, such as methane, hydrogen, natural gas, and many other hydrocarbons.
Handheld portable gas instruments usually outfitted with gas sensors for oxygen levels, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide and a sensor for the detection of hydrocarbons are provided to employees for personal safety. To protect a company’s assets, such as an oil refinery or a natural gas distribution facility companies rely on fixed gas instrumentation. These instruments are installed across a facility providing 24/7/365 detection for the presence of any hydrocarbons and or toxic gases based on the specific needs of the facility. READ MORE