Deadly Sin No. 7 – Ignoring Measurements
Ignoring measurements is the last sin in Crowcon’s series on the 7 deadly sins in gas detection. Not long ago, a tragic story about an oil worker found dead lying over an open hatch highlighted this issue. One of the most tragic aspects of this story was that if he had looked at his gas detector, it could have saved him.
Why You Should Not Ignore Measurements
A Neglected Incident
Three weeks before the tragic event, while sampling from a similar hatch, the same man had fallen ill and sought medical help. His symptoms disappeared, and he was discharged without a diagnosis. Later, the log from his gas detector showed that he had been exposed to a 5-minute period of low oxygen levels while working at the hatch. Oxygen below 19.5% is considered a low level – he was exposed to levels as low as 10%. On the day he was found dead, his detector showed that the oxygen level had dropped to 7%.
It is therefore reasonable to consider whether the man had ignored a gas detector alarm (see deadly sin 6). If the initial incident had been investigated, and the low oxygen levels observed in time, the oil worker’s death could have been avoided. But unfortunately, the log was not reviewed until it was too late.
Examine the Trends
It is more or less standard that stationary and portable gas detectors can log and store data from their immediate surroundings. These measurements are primarily used to indicate trends in different environments and thereby increase safety. In other industries, such as food and pharmaceutical production (food/pharma), it is common to analyze data from the work environment. Data analysis here helps to set reasonable warnings and alarm limits for safety-critical factors.
Know Your Limitations
By collecting data, the operational norms for an area or process can be accommodated. These norms reflect routine operating conditions, and alarm limits can be adjusted to these.
Identify the Patterns
An irregular spread of data points can indicate that part of a process is not under control. By analyzing data based on time and place, certain patterns can be identified. It may be possible to determine if a particular incident can be associated with:
- An event – such as shift change, turning machines on/off
- Location – for example, near a ventilation or hatch, where there is a different climate resulting in outlying data points
- Presence of people – (e.g., spot checks at hatches) or the person’s own behavior and practices.
This list is not exhaustive, but it illustrates how data can be used to identify patterns that can be used to predict events and thus prevent them before they occur.
Prevention Rather Than Cure
The now readily available option to log and store data with modern stationary and portable gas detectors will likely increase regulatory demands on companies using these to improve safety.
