What to Look For When Purchasing A Gas Monitor

All Safety Products, Inc. provides the following information below with the caution that you consult with a certified safety professional (see www.aiha.org for a list of professionals) if you have any specific testing questions or visit www.osha.gov website for additional information or to obtain the latest information.

Display- OSHA's Standard 29 CFR1910.146 requires that the atmosphere of a confined space be tested with a "... direct reading instrument." The confined space gas detector should display a reading of the concentration of the potential hazard in the appropriate units. The display should also be easy to read and legible in low light.  It's always recommended that you test batteries on a regular basis to ensure that gas monitor has a fresh set of batteries installed or is charged fully for urgent needs. Another plus (may not be required) for the toxic gas detector may include a printer (often thermal) that provides a printout of the readings.  

Sampling pump - The confined space standard requires that the atmosphere within the space is monitored prior to entry. To do that means that the gas monitor should not be carried into the space before the atmosphere is checked, so the instrument must be equipped with a sampling pump to test the atmosphere prior to entry.

Gases To Be Detected - The confined space standard says that the atmosphere must be tested for oxygen, combustible gas, and any toxic hazard that potentially may be found in the space. A multi-gas monitor or combustible / toxic gas detector should provide flexibility in the sensor options, so you can pick the right sensors to meet the monitoring needs of your confined space applications.

Calibration - The confined space standard says that the gas monitor / gas leak detector used to assess the atmosphere of the space prior to entry must be calibrated. There is really no sure way to ensure that the gas detector or air monitor is actually capable of sensing gas other than exposing it to gas, so it should be tested prior to each use with a known concentration of the target vapors.

Inspection Tag - It is also recommended that you have an inspection tag attached to the gas monitor with recent certification, batteries tested, etc. so the person using the gas detector will know that gas testing monitor is ready for use.

Gas Monitoring Products For Sale - All Safety Products, Inc. sells a variety of air samplers, air monitors, gas monitors, multi gas detectors, single gas detectors, confined space gas detectors, hydrogren gas detectors, lel gas detectors and combustible gas leak detectors.  Our suppliers include MSA, Industrial Scientific, Biosystems Inc., Sensidyne, Environmental Express, 3M, Nextteq and Pelican Products.