IR technology
IR technology
In order to comply with this legislation, more and more organisations are turning to infra-red (IR) technology as the preferred method of ensuring a safe workplace.
Why infra red?
DSEAR states that, where possible, best working practice should be utilised. It also states that the workplace must be designed, constructed and maintained so as to reduce risk. In addition, work processes must be suitable and designed,constructed, assembled, installed, and provided and used so as to reduce risk,and work processes must be maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair. Of particular relevance is the need to ensure that equipment and protective systems meet the following requirements.
Where power failure can give rise to the spread of additional risk,equipment and protective systems must be able to be maintained in a safe state of operation independently of the rest of the plant in the event of power failure.
Means for manual override must be possible, operated by employees competent to do so, for shutting down equipment and protective systems incorporated within automatic processes which deviate from the intended operating conditions,provided that the provision or use of such means does not compromise safety.
On operation of emergency shutdown, accumulated energy must be dissipated as quickly and as safely as possible, or isolated so that it no longer constitutes a hazard.
Necessary measures must be taken to prevent confusion between connecting devices.
Best working practice clearly points to failsafe technology which, in gas detection terms, means IR. The Draeger Polytron 2IR point detector and open path IR gas detectors are typical examples of this new breed of failsafe device.
Polytron 2IR
The revolutionary non-imaging, double-compensated IR sensor of the Polytron 2IR detector guarantees unrivalled signal stability and ensures no interference from environmental influences. Providing a fast, accurate response, it has a built-in library of 30 combustible gases or vapours and allows switching between the gases, at a touch of a button and without calibration. All the unit requires is one span gas such as methane, and the unit is automatically calibrated for all other 29 selectable gases.
Open path
Designed to detect a wide range of gaseous hydrocarbons, the Draeger GD series of open path gas detectors can be easily set up, aligned and commissioned without the need for special training or skills. Intrinsically safe and ideal for indoor use, each detector can monitor path lengths of up to 60 m. Once installed, aligned and zeroed, they require no further routine calibration and require only periodic checks of the optics and system alignment. The Draeger polytron pulsar open path gas detector can also be supplied for external use in arduous or hostile environments.
All Draeger fixed gas detection systems carry full ATEX approval and can be used in a wide variety of applications to meet both the control and mitigation requirements of DSEAR. In addition, under the Draeger Sensor Exchange programme,sensors can be changed quickly and easily to simplify maintenance procedures and to ensure continuous gas detection.
References: Fire and explosion – how safe is your workplace? HSE
User comment
Mark Thompson, Regional Maintenance Manager at Southern Water comments:“Site surveys are essential, particularly in applications such as those at Southern Water where different sites present different potential hazards. A full risk assessment will help meet the DSEAR requirements and, at the same time,confirm the effectiveness of existing control measures.”
