Protect your workplace from hazardous gases
Toxic or flammable substances often appear as part of production in many workplaces, and even if all rules and measures are met, accidents or leaks still occur from time to time, which can pose a serious health risk to you and your colleagues – and in the worst case, be fatal.
How to Protect Your Workplace from Dangerous Gases
Some leaks are quickly detected due to a strong smell, e.g., chlorine, ammonia, or hydrogen sulfide, while others are odorless. Take carbon monoxide, for example, which occurs during incomplete combustion. CO is extremely toxic, and even a very modest concentration in the air can be deadly. Carbon dioxide and nitrogen are also involved in many industrial processes and are dangerous in the sense that they displace oxygen in the surroundings. Therefore, gas detectors are often installed in rooms where nitrogen is used for freezing or CO2 for carbonation.
The odorless gases or oxygen displacement can, however, occur in many other places without you knowing it. It can be in cargo holds, wells, tank facilities, and many other places. Even oxygen, which we otherwise consider harmless and a prerequisite for life, is dangerous in both too low or too high concentrations.
At Hans Buch, we would like to advocate for timely care. In collaboration with our supplier of gas detection equipment, Crowcon, we therefore provide you with a series of fact sheets that can help you protect yourself and your colleagues from dangerous gases in the workplace.
Download your fact sheets here and learn more about how to handle the gases, as well as detect, measure, and report on them.
Oxygen
While it is commonly known that a low oxygen concentration causes discomfort, and that a few minutes without oxygen causes irreversible damage to the organs, it is probably few who think about the fact that a too high oxygen concentration significantly increases the risk of fire. Oxygen enrichment can occur in places where oxygen cylinders are stored, e.g., hospitals, laboratories, or production facilities where oxygen is used.
The oxygen level in your surroundings should be kept constant, which is why it is relevant to measure.
Ammonia
Ammonia is classified as an extremely dangerous substance and can be very harmful – even deadly – in the event of leaks. The gas can be both toxic and flammable and is corrosive in concentrated form.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is extremely flammable and can cause fire or explosion when mixed with atmospheric air – even in small amounts. At high concentrations in inhaled air, hydrogen can cause severe oxygen deficiency, which can ultimately be fatal. Without sufficient oxygen, your brain, liver, and other organs can be damaged just a few minutes after symptoms appear.
However, hydrogen usually disperses quickly in well-ventilated spaces, with the primary dangers of the gas being the risk of ignition and explosion.
Chlorine
Chlorine is toxic, and if you inhale or drink it in concentrated amounts, it can be deadly. Although it is not flammable, chlorine can react with most flammable substances, posing a fire and explosion risk.
Chlorine can also react with cleaning agents (e.g., descalers) and form H-Cl vapors, which corrode the lungs and “drown” the exposed person in their own blood/cellular fluid.
Methane
Methane is naturally formed, among other things, by the biological decomposition of organic material under low-oxygen conditions. Methane is also produced in biogas plants where a mixture of livestock manure and wet waste from industry and households undergoes a biological decay process, forming both biogas and biomass. The amount of methane in the biogas depends on the substances being decomposed but usually constitutes 55-70%.
The biogas can subsequently be used for the production of electricity and heat.
Methane is a significant energy source and also constitutes the primary component in Danish natural gas (about 90%).
Methane is in itself both odorless, colorless, and non-toxic, but that does not mean it is not dangerous. Methane is flammable, and it is therefore important to guard against leaks in the workplace due to the high risk of fire and explosion. Gas detectors that check for methane are therefore also some of the most sought-after products in the industry.
Hydrogen Cyanide
Hydrogen cyanide (HCN), popularly known as prussic acid, is a chemical compound that can appear as an extremely toxic, colorless, and volatile gas. The gas is involved in several chemical manufacturing processes, including the production of paint, plastic, and insecticides.
With a weight of 27.02534 g/mol, hydrogen cyanide is lighter than regular air, causing the gas to rise and accumulate under the ceiling. In the presence of HCN or prussic acid, one will experience a faint smell of almonds, but unfortunately, 30-40% of us are unable to smell this, of which 20% cannot smell it even in high concentrations. Gas detection is therefore indispensable.
If you inhale prussic acid, the poison is quickly transferred to the blood, affecting the transport of oxygen to the cells. An exposure of 300ppm is fatal within a few minutes, while 100-200ppm will be fatal within 30-60 minutes.
Find Your Gas Detection Equipment at Hans Buch
At Hans Buch, we have solutions for gas detection – both stationary monitoring and portable gas detectors for personal safety, and we are more than happy to assist you with the commissioning and servicing of your gas detection equipment.
With gas detection and alarming, you have done as much as you can to protect yourself and your colleagues from dangerous gases, and with prices for handheld gas detectors starting at around 2000 DKK, it is also inexpensive to make it safe.
See our gas detection equipment here or contact us to learn more about your gas detection solution.
Also read our article: Choose the Right Gas Detector and Avoid Accidents.
