AUTHORISED GAS TESTING.

Page 1 slide 5
Why test gas….????

Commercial and industrial industries are under more rules

and regulations than ever before. When it comes to safety in
the workplace, there are numerous governing bodies
regulating the way jobs are performed, ensuring that best
practices are enforced, and promoting the completion of jobs
and tasks in the safest way possible. One of the things these
governing bodies, such as OSHA, have specific regulations for
is gas detection. Gas detectors are required by industry best
practices and regulations and are the only way that workplaces
can identify gas leaks and potential threats within the
workplace. They are extremely important and are a critical
piece of safety equipment that can be used to detect explosive
atmospheres, oxygen deficiency, and toxic gases that may have
leaked into the air. Without gas detectors being used to detect
threats, workers are exposed to potentially damaging gases
that can cause harm to their minds and bodies, or even result
in death.
 Toxic gases:

 Toxic gases: these are gases that are harmful to humans

when inhaled or ingested in various quantities. This
includes gases such as ammonia, chlorine, sulfur, and
many others. The official definition of a toxic gas is: “A
compressed gas or vapor that has a median lethal
concentration (LC50) in air of 200 parts per million (ppm)
by volume, or 2 milligrams per liter of mist, fume, or dust,
when administered by continuous inhalation for one hour
(or less if death occurs within one hour) to albino rats
weighing between 200 and 300 grams each.”
 Flammable gases: these gases are capable burning in
certain concentrations. Flamable gases will only burn the
presence of oxygen; however, without oxygen there is
probably a bigger problem for workers.
 Combustible gases: this category of hazardous gas includes
all gases that can explode in certain concentrations. Like
flammable gases, combustible gas requires the presence of
oxygen.
Thus a toxic gas detector is designed with gas sensors to detect
certain toxic gases, but not flammable or combustible gases. In
addition to the various hazardous gases, many gas detection
systems also include sensors to detect dangerously low levels of
oxygen. These oxygen deficiency detectors are not technically a
hazardous gas detector, but are an important part of industrial
gas detection.
It’s worth stressing that a toxic gas detector will not detect
every kind of toxic gas just as a flammable gas detector will not
detect every kind of flammable gas. Regardless of the type of
gas detector, it will only detect the specific gases it was
designed for.

 Hydrogen Sulfide - "sewer gas" a colorless gas with

the odor of rotten eggs. Excessive exposure has been
linked to many confined space deaths. Hydrogen
sulfide causes a loss of our sense of smell, causing
people to mistakenly think that the gas has left the
space. Hydrogen sulfide inhibits the exchange of
oxygen on the cellular level and causes asphyxiation.
 Carbon monoxide - is an odorless, colorless gas that
is formed by burning carbon based fuels (gas,
wood). Carbon monoxide inhibits the bodies ability
to transport oxygen to all parts of the body.

Who can carry out gas testing?

All checks must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer .

ALL the checks must be done by a Gas Safe registered
engineer . We advise that you check that the Gas Safe
registered engineer is competent to work in that specific
area of gas. This is clearly marked on the back of the
engineer’s Gas Safe Register registration card. Or you can
check that the engineer or the business is on the Gas Safe
Register website .
For more information see Regulation (36)(4) of the Gas Safety
(Installation & Use) Regulations 1998
Can I use a non-registered engineer to fit an appliance and
have it checked by the Gas Safe registered engineer?
No, a Gas Safe registered engineer must fit and check a gas
appliance. It is not acceptable for a Gas Safe registered
engineer to knowingly ‘sign-off’ gas work that has been
carried out by a person who is not registered. Where this
occurs, both the registered and unregistered installer may face
prosecution.
Can I use a plumber to install the appliance and then have the
gas work fitted by a Gas Safe registered engineer?
A non-registered person may carry out ‘wet work’, ie install
water pipes and radiators for a heating system, but any work
on the gas boiler itself and the final connection of the water
pipework to the boiler, must be done by a Gas Safe registered
engineer .

Where expect to find explosive gas?

 Voids/cofferdams.
 Casing vents.
 Drain valves.
 Valve spindles.
 Empty flow lines.
 Flanges
 Low points
 Sludge
 Open pits/ditches
 High points
 Open drains
  Wellheads or Wellbores
 Vessels
 Pits and low areas Piping systems
 Tanks
 Confined or enclosed spaces
 Production facilities
 Shacks, buildings, or containers

EXPLOSIVE LIMITS.

All combustible gases and vapours have an ‘Explosive limit’,

between which the gas or vapour, mixed with air, is capable
of sustaining the spread of flame.

These can be referred to as the ‘explosive’ or ‘flammable’

limits.

Lower & Upper Explosive Limits for Flammable Gases &

Vapors. The maximum concentration of a gas or vapor that
will burn in air is definedas the Upper Explosive Limit (UEL).
Above this level, the mixture is too "rich" to burn. The range
between the LEL and UEL is known as the flammable range
for that gas or vapor.

The lower explosive limit (LEL) refers to the lowest

concentration of a gas in the atmosphere which results in a
combustible mixture. For example, the LEL of Methane in Air
is 5% by volume.

This means that if there is less than 5% by volume of

Methane in air the mixture is too lean to support
combustion.

When Methane Gas Test equipment indicates 100% LEL,

there is 5% by volume of Methane in the test atmosphere.

The Upper Explosive Limit (UEL) refers to the highest

concentration of a gas in the atmosphere which results in a
combustible mixture.

For example, the UEL of Methane in air is 15% by volume,

which means that if there is more than 15% of Methane in the
air by volume the mixture is too rich to support combustion.

Explosive Limit.
The Flammable Range (Explosive Range) is the concentration
range of a gas or vapor that will burn (or explode) if an
ignition source is introduced.

Three basic requirements must be met for explosion to take

place:

1. flammable substance - fuel

2. oxidizer - oxygen or air
3. source of ignition - spark or high heat
Below the explosive or flammable range the mixture is too lean
to burn and above the upper explosive or flammable limit the
mixture is too rich to burn. The limits are commonly called the
"Lower Explosive or Flammable Limit" (LEL/LFL) and the
"Upper Explosive or Flammable Limit" (UEL/UFL).

The lower and upper explosion concentration limits for some

commonly used gases are indicated in the table below. Some of
the gases are commonly used as fuel in combustion processes.

TIPS OF GAS TESTING

For most practical Gas Testing purposes it is the LEL which is

significant. The AGT is responsible for recording the
percentage of LEL for the specific flammable gas being tested
on the permit.
 Ensure that the gas detector ‘test’ is in date. Do not
use a gas detector that is ‘out of test’
 Check the gas detector for signs of damage. If
damaged record and report the nature of the
damage and exchange the gas detector for one that
is undamaged (if possible)
 Before using the gas detector ensure the ‘battery’ is
fully charged
 After switching on purge the gas detector with
uncontaminated air
 Allow the gas detector to complete the ‘startup
sequence’ (if applicable) before use
 If the gas detector uses a calibration gas check that
the reading is correct to the calibration gas
  Follow all manufacturers safety instructions for use
In both cases, the Authorised Gas Tester must:
 Gas test at the frequency stated on the Permit or
Confined Space Entry Certificate.
 Fill in the result of the gas test on the Gas Test
Record and Sign it.
When a test result indicates that it is NOT safe to
work, the Authorized Gas Tester must:
 Tell the Permit Holder to stop any current work.
 Tell the Permit Holder and Area Authority that it is
not safe to work, and why, so that the problem can
be dealt with.

In general gas testing is required for the following types

of work;
 Breaking containment
 Hot work in a process or hydrocarbon area
 Gas freeing and purging
 Confined space entry / work within a confined space
 Checking for suspected gas leaks
 Providing clearance for work activities
 Use of diesel engines in a process / hydrocarbon area
 Vehicle entry to a process / hydrocarbon area.
The two main toxic gasses we are concerned are :
SULPHUR DIOXIDE SO2
Sulphur Dioxide is colourless and has a characteristic choking
smell. It is formed when burning sulphur, and materials
containing sulphur such as oil and coal. It is highly acidic,
forming sulphuric acid when dissolved in water. Along with
the oxides of nitrogen, it is a cause of acid rain.
SO2 is found in industrial areas and near power stations, and it
is a raw material for many processes. It has a use in the
treatment of water to displace excess chlorine and because of
its sterilising properties it is used in food processing. It is twice
as heavy as air and it tends to fall to ground level so a Crowcon
Environmental Sampling Unit sited near the ground ensures
rapid detection in the event of a leak.
Note: Sulphur trioxide S03 is encountered in the exhaust from
power stations. It is not a gas but a solid, which readily
sublimes (i.e. it goes from the solid state to the gas state on
heating).

HYDROGEN SULPHIDE (SULFIDE) H2S

Important Note:
H2S is ALSO EXPLOSIVE
Hydrogen sulphide is well known because of its bad egg odour,
which can be smelt down to less than 0.1ppm. High
concentrations (>60ppm) cannot be smelt due to paralysis of
the olfactory glands, and exposure can lead to instant
paralysis. H2S is slightly heavier than air, and thus fixed
detectors are usually mounted 1 to 1.5 metres from the ground,
or near potential sources of leaks.
H2S is produced during the decay of organic materials,
extracted with oil (when the oil is said to be sour) and is often
found underground during tunnelling and in sewers. It is a
constituent of biogas and found in large quantities in sewage
treatment works, pumping stations, press houses, boiler
houses, and virtually anywhere where sewage is being treated.
It has some industrial uses and is produced as a by-product in
others (e.g. fibre manufacture).

CONFINED SPACE.

What is a Confined Space?

A space that:

Is large enough and so configured that an employee can

enter bodily and perform work;

Has limited or restricted means of entry or exit;

Is not designed for continuous human occupancy.

EXAMPLES OF CONFINED SPACES ARE.

Tanks Manholes

Boilers Furnaces

Sewers Silos

Hoppers Vaults

Pipes Trenches

Tunnels Ducts
Bins Pits

MANHOLE
Hazards in Confined Spaces

Toxic or flammable gases

Low oxygen content

Rotating or moving equipment not isolated

Fluid or gas inlets or outlets not isolated

Residue from previous contents

Slip trip or fall hazards

Lack of adequate lighting

Oxygen content may be low or absent due to a variety of

reasons

Purging with Inert Gas such as nitrogen

Displacement by other gases from adjoining plant area

Depletion due to oxidation ( rusting ) of metals

Depletion due to fire or welding / cutting process.

Dangerous Circumstances. Slide 33

• Gas or vapor from adjoining plant due to ineffective
isolation.
Fumes emitted when sludge deposits are disturbed during
inspection / cleaning
• Fumes produced by an operation inside a confined space,
e.g. welding, flame cutting, lead lining, rubber lining,
brush and spray painting, molding GRP (fiberglass), use
of adhesives, solvents , etc.
The production or combustion of various fuels

 The tests should check for the presence of gas or toxic

fumes and the adequacy of the supply and content of
Oxygen.
 The tests must start from outside the confined space,
and/or the AGT must wear a SCBA.
 Never enter in a confined space without a stand-by man.
 Gas can be trapped at a high level.
 The tests must be done at different places and at
different levels.

Combustion of Gases
Most organic compounds will burn. Burning is a simple
chemical reaction in which oxygen from the atmosphere reacts
rapidly with a substance, producing heat. The simplest organic
compounds are hydrocarbons, which are the main constituents
of crude oil and gas. Hydrocarbons are composed of carbon
and hydrogen, the simplest hydrocarbon being methane, each
molecule of which consists of one carbon atom and four
hydrogen atoms. It is the first compound in the family known
as alkanes. The physical properties of alkanes change with
increasing numbers of carbon atoms in the molecule: those
with one to four being gases, those with five to ten being
volatile liquids, those with 11 to 18 being heavier fuel oils and
those with 19 to 40 being lubricating oils. Longer carbon chain
hydrocarbons are tars and waxes.
When hydrocarbons burn they react with oxygen from the
atmosphere to produce carbon dioxide and water (although if
the combustion is incomplete because of insufficient oxygen,
carbon monoxide will result as well).
More complex organic compounds contain elements such as
oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur, chlorine, bromine or fluorine and if
these burn, the products of combustion will include other
compounds as well. For example, substances containing
sulphur such as oil or coal will result in sulphur dioxide whilst
those containing chlorine such as methyl chloride or polyvinyl
chloride (PVC) will result in hydrogen chloride.
In most industrial environments where there is the risk of
explosion or fire because of the presence of flammable gases or
vapours, a mixture of compounds is likely to be encountered.
In the oil, gas and petrochemical industries the raw materials
are a mixture of hydrocarbons and chemicals, some of which
may be being altered by a process. For example crude oil is
separated into many materials using processes referred to as
fractionation (or fractional distillation); fractions are further
converted using processes such as ‘cracking’ or ‘catalytic
reforming’. Flammable hazards are therefore likely to be
represented by many substances on a typical petrochemical
refining plant.
Explosive Risk
In order for gas to ignite there must be an ignition source,
typically a spark (or flame or hot surface) and oxygen. For
ignition to take place the concentration of gas or vapour in air
must be at a level such that the ‘fuel’ and oxygen can react
chemically. The power of the explosion depends on the ‘fuel’
and its concentration in the atmosphere. The relationship
between fuel/air/ignition is illustrated in the ‘fire triangle’.

Fire Triangle
The ‘fire tetrahedron’ concept has been introduced more
recently to illustrate the risk of fires being sustained due to
chemical reaction. With most types of fire the original fire
triangle model works well – removing one element of the
triangle (fuel, oxygen or ignition source) will prevent a fire
occurring. However, when the fire involves burning metals like
lithium or magnesium, using water to extinguish the fire could
result in it getting hotter or even exploding. This is because
such metals can react with water in an exothermic reaction to
produce flammable hydrogen gas.
Fire Tetrahedron
Not all concentrations of flammable gas or vapour in air will
burn or explode. The Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) is the
lowest concentration of ‘fuel’ in air which will burn and for
most flammable gases it is less than 5% by volume. So there is
a high risk of explosion even when relatively small
concentrations of gas or vapour escape into the atmosphere.
LEL levels for gases and vapors are defined in various
international standards. The original long-established
standards measured the LEL points using a static
concentration of gas. More recent European and international
standards list LEL levels measured using a stirred gas
mixture: some substances are more volatile when in motion
and represent an explosive risk at lower concentrations than
indicated on previous ‘static’ tests. Methane is the most
commonly occurring flammable gas in industry: the long-
established Lower Explosive Limit is 5% in air, the ‘new’ LEL
recognized in Europe and other territories is 4.4%LEL and
calibration practices has been changed accordingly.
The propane vapour LEL is affected to an even greater degree:
the ‘old’ LEL value being 2-2.2% in air (depending on which
standard is referenced), the ‘new’ LEL being 1.7% in air. A
more comprehensive list of affected gases and vapours can be
viewed at www.talkinggas.co.uk’.
Flammable Gas Risk
Flammable gas detection equipment is generally designed to
provide a warning of flammable risks before the gas reaches its
lower explosive limit. The first alarm level is generally set at
20% LEL, with a second-stage alarm at 40-60%LEL. In some
applications such as gas turbine monitoring alarms may be set
as low as 5%LEL.
Toxic Gas Risk
Gases and vapours released from oil, gas and petrochemical
processing activities can, under many circumstances, have
harmful effects on workers exposed to them by inhalation,
being absorbed through the skin, or swallowed. People exposed
to harmful substances may develop illnesses such as cancer
many years after the first exposure. Many toxic substances are
dangerous to health in low ‘ppm’ (parts per million) or even
ppb (part per billion) concentrations.
Given that 10,000 ppm is equivalent to 1% volume of any
space, it can be seen that an extremely low concentration of
some toxic gases can present a hazard to health.
It is worth noting that most flammable gas hazards occur when
the concentration of gases or vapours exceed 10,000ppm (1%)
volume in air or higher. In contrast, toxic gases typically need
to be detected in sub-100ppm (0.01%) volume levels to protect
personnel.
Gaseous toxic substances are especially dangerous because
they are often invisible and/or odourless. Their physical
behaviour is not always predictable: ambient temperature,
pressure and ventilation patterns significantly influence the
behaviour of a gas leak. Hydrogen sulphide for example is
particularly hazardous; although it has a very distinctive ‘bad
egg’ odour at concentrations above 0.1ppm, exposure to
concentrations of 50ppm or higher will lead to paralysis of the
olfactory glands rendering the sense of smell inactive. This in
turn may result in the assumption that the danger has cleared.
Prolonged exposure to concentrations above 50ppm will result
in paralysis and death.
Definitions for maximum exposure concentrations of toxic
gases vary according to country. Limits are generally time-
weighted as exposure effects are cumulative: the limits
stipulate the maximum exposure during a normal working
day.

Gas Detection Systems

Both flammable and toxic gases pose serious hazards in oil, gas
and petrochemical processing facilities. There can be a very
diverse range of gases depending on the application. Multi-gas
mixtures are also a common danger, especially in confined
spaces. Fixed gas detectors can be positioned in strategic zones,
and operatives undertaking maintenance or cleaning work, for
example in confined spaces or ‘hot work’ areas, should always
be equipped with portable gas detectors.
Most gas detectors should be calibrated every six months to
ensure optimum operation. However, a new range of IR
(infrared) detectors allow users to extend maintenance checks
to once every 12 months – and this only requires a ‘gas test’,
not full re-calibration, which is more time consuming. ‘Bump-
test’ stations and intelligent instrument management hubs also
enable simple day-to-day testing of portable gas detectors and
easy management of maintenance cycles.

Crowcon's Tetra 3 four gas portable gas detector.

Future Trends.
It is likely that both portable and fixed hydrocarbon gas
detectors will use IR sensors rather than the traditional
catalytic bead (pellistor) sensors currently used in most
detectors. IR sensors provide increased reliability, more
dependable operation and increased lifetimes when compared
to pellistors. The cost of IR sensors has fallen in the past few
years, and a commercial case can easily be made for switching
to IR technology.
Sensor technologies such as PID (photo-ionisation) are being
used more commonly as requirements for monitoring levels of
VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in industry increase.
Optical sensing developments and solid-electrolyte sensors will
provide solutions in toxic gas and oxygen sensing applications
where traditional electrochemical cells have operating
limitations.
Portable gas detectors will include features appropriate to a
diverse range of applications with extended battery life and
connectivity to other types of portable devices and control
systems.
Fixed detection systems will also continue to utilise a variety of
technologies (such as point-type detectors, open-path detectors,
acoustic sensors and even gas cameras) for the most
comprehensive coverage. Wireless connectivity will replace
cables in some applications.
 1. Detector Tube Devices.

The piston type unit is a pump operated by the action of a

piston to create a vacuum. The unit consists of:
1. A cylinder 2. A piston with handle.
3. An Inlet. 4. Vacuum indicator.
5. Valves and seals.
In the unit, a bellows pump is used to create the vacuum
necessary to take a sample. Bellows type unit consists of:
1. A spring loaded bellows (with hand grip).
2. An inlet. 3. Vacuum indicator.
4. Stroke counter. 5. A valve and seals

Detector Tube devices are portable, measure the

presence of gas and identify approximate concentrations.
They test an atmosphere at a point in time, but do not
give a continuous reading.
Fixed Gas Monitors
These single-gas, multi-gas, PID monitors,
controllers, and wireless alarm bar can be installed
to provide continuous, always-on monitoring for toxic
gases and radiation. The MeshGuard system can be
easily set up with its self-forming wireless mesh
networks, and allow you to create a customized
solution that can improve safety, facilitate decision
making, and speed response times.

Fixed gas detection systems are often required to protect

facilities by the insurance companies who are underwriting
them and even by some standard electric codes. By
protecting the facility, they are also protecting the lives of the
people working in the facility. A fixed gas detection system
can provide an early warning of hazardous gas before a
worker steps foot in a given area.
Personal Gas Detector