What to consider when buying gas detectors

Understanding baseline product specifications before purchasing gas detectors is a must to determine which ones are best suited for your occupational environment. With so many options available, deciding on the gas detectors best suited for your work sites can be challenging.

Apart from product specifications, let's look at some of the key questions to consider when making a purchase decision.

"Thermo Fisher Scientific's wide range of gas detection products make it simple and convenient to meet your work site's needs, helping to reduce gas threats to your industrial plant, your employees and people living nearby. Our product experts are on hand and ready to help you find the best solution – whether it is a simple portable single-gas detector or a fixed multi-gas monitoring system," Thermo Fisher Scientific's product manager, Nick Taylor said.

Many manufacturers use sensors manufactured by their own company, so it is critical to know if those sensors perform to the specifications you need. The sensors available range from the standard four-gas configuration – carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, oxygen and combustible gases, to more exotic sensors for such as chlorine and ammonia.

Response time, often referred to as the t90 time, depends on sensor design and threshold levels set by the manufacturer. These can vary, so it is advisable to check the specification of the device; when dealing with the safety of workers, seconds count. User manual specifications, however, apply to ideal conditions; working conditions, hazard exposure, temperature, and many other factors affect the performance of gas detectors.

It is also worth considering how "smart" your sensors should be; some older analogue sensors are tried and tested and reliable but there are also newer, digital sensors which will perform real-time environmental corrections, offer plug-and-play capability and provide an end-of-life warning. The latter is especially useful in minimizing downtime and inventory replacement.

For portable gas detectors, performance is highly dependent on their batteries. To determine performance specifications, manufacturers will often use fully charged disposable alkaline batteries of the highest quality. You should always refer to the manual for the recommended batteries to ensure that your devices work optimally.

Gas detectors with pumps pull samples from the atmosphere and indicate whether your environment is safe. But pumped gas detectors are heavier and bulkier than non-pumped (diffusion) gas detectors and require regular maintenance to keep the pump unclogged.In confined spaces where you need to verify gas hazard levels prior to entry or where you need to check for hazards in hard-to-access places, the detector with a pump would be ideal. However, for more typical gas detection applications where you don't need to sample the air before entry, you can opt for non-pumped gas detectors.

In fact, some gas detectors can be selected to operate in pumped mode or in diffusion mode. A product specialist can advise you on what type would best suit your specific situation.

For fixed gas detectors, the sensor options are more limited, with the criteria being more centred around application and interface. For example, do we need a local display, what supply voltage is available, is the device located in an explosion risk area. For some low-range fixed gas applications, an important consideration is whether to choose a pumped or non-pumped gas detector.

The general perception is that gas detectors with pumps are far better, and the ones with no pump are less accurate, slow, and won't detect hazards accurately. However, that is not always the case. Both have their applications in different work environments, and for both detectors, the sensors will only detect the gas when they come in direct contact with it.

Purchase decisions are often swayed by the upfront cost of buying detectors. However, it is essential to consider durability, ease of use, safety, product reliability, installation, calibration and maintenance, and think in terms of the total cost of ownership (TCO).

Each manufacturer will recommend a schedule for maintenance, sensor replacement and calibration, so that the equipment functions optimally. In some cases, you may need to engage a third party for regular maintenance and to maintain a calibration log for audit purposes.

Due to frequent exposure to gases, the sensor's accuracy starts to drift, which is why they need regular calibration to offset the effect. Sensors also have a finite lifespan, so you need to factor in sensor replacement costs. Some sensors may have a shorter lifespan compared to others, and while they may still function beyond their recommended lifespan, their performance will degrade over time.

Strong manufacturer warranty and support are signs of a quality product. So, consider after-sales services provided by the supplier when calculating your TCO, and don't base your buying decision solely on upfront cost.

3. Device size and portability

When the detectors under consideration check all the other boxes, it's easy to overlook their size. While portability may not be much of a concern when opting for fixed gas detectors, it becomes crucial for portable detectors. When you have procured gas detectors for your employees’ safety, but they don't use them due to inconvenience, it can have severe consequences.

Your employees, who work in challenging environments, will be carrying/wearing these portable detectors, so they must be rugged but also compact and lightweight. Gas detection technology has made a lot of progress in recent years. Today you will be able to find a wide variety of gas detector types in portable form.

Thinking back to fixed gas detectors, whilst they may not need to be portable, being lightweight is critical when it comes to man-handling for installation or when they are mounted on a floating platform.

4. Data access and trending insights

Data from detectors is typically used in post-incident investigations to determine the cause and for compliance record keeping. However, this data also represents a big opportunity.

Tapping into that data can enable safety officers and industrial hygienists to ensure optimal gas detection program performance and enhance the safety of employees at work sites.

By using data-enabled detectors, you can look at historical insights and current data to:·

5. Installation on on-site support

It is one thing to decide which detectors to buy, it is another to plan the outfitting of a whole site. Several considerations must be made when installing fixed gas detectors at your work sites. You will need to:·

That is a long list of considerations. The manufacturer or reseller should be able to consult with you on installation, maintenance and any ongoing support needs. This support will instil your employees’ confidence in your gas detection program.

Compliance and safety are front and centre of any gas detection program, as lives are at stake. Thermo Fisher Scientific's gas detection specialists advocate for an holistic gas detection program. They can help you choose the best fit for your application from our wide range of well-reputed, effective and connected gas detectors.

Get in touch with a Thermo Fisher Scientific product specialist for an obligation-free consultation before deciding on the next batch of gas detectors for your work sites.