Gas Detection

There are many situations in which gas detection is essential. While the need for this service is obvious in some of them, there are other scenarios in which you might be surprised to learn that you should even check for the presence of unwanted gases. The surprising scenarios are the most dangerous simply because they are the ones that aren't easy to deduce.

One activity that should always be preceded by gas detection testing is welding. This and other hot work can ignite explosive gases, including methane and natural gas. Methane is odorless, and it can be emitted by backed-up sewer pipes and rotting garbage as well as by pipelines. Natural gas only has odor once smelly compounds have been added to the provider. Therefore, both of these gases should be tested for prior to hot work, even if the work is happening in a place that has no known gas lines. Odorless fumes could have come in from an unexpected source.

Even non-explosive fumes can be very deadly. Carbon monoxide is the most infamous gas of this type. It is odorless, and well-known for being able to suffocate people to death without giving any earlier clue of its presence. High amounts of carbon dioxide can also kill, as can high amounts of any other gas that isn't oxygen.

Suffocation danger is highest in confined areas, so these areas should be tested before they are closed off. This is true whether the confined space is a bathroom with a clogged drain or an area where hazards are more obvious.

To be as safe as possible, run gas detection tests before any hot work and prior to working in any poorly-ventilated area. It only takes a few seconds to activate a meter to test the air.