A hazardous location is any place in which flammable materials are always present, and may cause a fire with ignition. The most hazardous locations are replete with heavy equipment, toxins, extreme weather conditions, and combustible materials that can spark a fire at any time. Accidents can happen frequently due to equipment failures, weather conditions, or simple human error. Furthermore, being informed of these issues isn’t always enough to protect your workers, as disasters are bound to happen in these occupancies.
Businesses should take an active role in workplace safety by analyzing their particular hazards, providing the right equipment, and by putting the correct systems in place to lower risk. Even in the event of a gas leak or fire, having the correct detection, notification and suppression technology can save the lives of occupants. More specifically, the dangers of explosions and fire can be mitigated when using the right equipment along with the proper training. In this article, I will explain more about early detection devices that are used in oil and gas facilities.
Locations that work with flammable substances, particularly oil rigs, drilling sites, and gas facilities, are notorious for being dangerous places to work. For example, from 2013 to 2017, 489 oil and gas extraction workers were killed on the job. Additionally, fires and explosions resulted in the sixth highest workplace hazard fatalities, just behind “contact with objects and equipment” in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2018-22 Census of Fatal Occupational injuries report. Due to these dangers, it is necessary to have trained workers, safe equipment, early detection, and responses for open flames or gas leaks.
Keep Reading: A Guide to Hazardous Area Classification >>
Gas and fire detection warns workers about potential dangers, so they can evacuate the premises before a fire or explosion occurs. Detectors used in the oil and gas industry are MSIR flame detectors, spot combustible gas detectors, line-of-sight gas detectors, acoustic gas leak detectors, and controllers for gas and flame detection.
Read More: Difference Between Linear and Spot Type Fire Detectors >>
This kind of detector senses the multi-spectral signals of hydrocarbon gas or liquid fires by utilizing four separate infrared sensors. Multi-spectrum sensors perform better than single spectrum detectors in industrial environments because infrared noise is common in those areas.
Fixed-point toxic gas detectors sense the presence of toxic gases using electrochemical, infrared, or metal oxide semiconductor technology. These detectors are commonly used when hydrogen sulfide is used within systems, and they return the concentration of gas where the detector is located.
These detectors detect the presence of gas along a linear path, but with a larger range than fixed point detectors. Line-of-sight detectors can operate at ranges of up to 120 meters. Consequently, they are most effective when used in open areas to monitor the movements of gas clouds. These detectors are best used in conjunction with fixed-point detectors, or used to monitor the perimeter of a site.
Acoustic detectors can detect gas leaks by using acoustic sensors that recognize the ultrasonic sound of a pressurized gas leak. To add, these sensors can analyze ultrasonic frequencies from 25 KHz to 100KHz, while excluding audible frequencies. Acoustic detectors have the ability to pinpoint even the smallest leaks, and are still effective on outdoor sites under inclement weather conditions. Most importantly, they enable early detection and rapid responses to gas leaks even without direct contact with pipelines or gas clouds.
Controllers give you granular control over your flame / gas detection, notification appliances, suppression systems, and deluge operation. Configuring these systems with a controller device like an Eagle Quantum Premier Controller EQ30XX allows you to customize these systems and control the communication between them.
With early detection, occupants know when to evacuate the premises or take action to prevent a situation from becoming more dangerous. Another additional safety measure that can lower the risk of fire or explosion is having certified and specially designed equipment that lowers the opportunities for flammable materials to ignite. Equipment and machinery in oil and gas facilities may have the following characteristics:
Flame detectors, gas detectors, and acoustic gas detectors are important facets of a safer work environment. Make sure you adhere to fire standards stipulated by the NFPA and OSHA. Also, make sure you understand the fire codes stipulated by your local authority having jurisdiction. It is crucial to have qualified engineers authenticate the need for specialized equipment. Finally, check out Firealarm.com’s shop for flame detectors, gas detectors and much more for all of your fire safety needs!
