Oxygen Monitors now
Required for Nitrogen, Argon, Helium, and CO2 use in Denver
The Colorado city of Denver recently
passed a new law that requires facilities that use insert gas to install oxygen
deficiency monitors wherever these gases are used in excess of 100 pounds.
Learn what the new law requires from businesses and how an oxygen sensor
protects your employees, your business, and your peace of mind.
What Denver's New Law
Requires
The law specifically applies
to Colorado commercial, industrial, or manufacturing facilities that use
inert gases, including nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, and helium. Facilities
covered by the new law include water treatment plants, laboratories, and food
processing plants.
Fire suppression systems and medical
gas systems are not covered by the Denver law.
Under the new law:
- Inert gas storage tanks must be placed in
approved locations, whether stored inside or outside of the building
- Storage containers must be secured to
prevent tip-overs
- All valves and tubing used with the gas
system must meet applicable standards
- Gases must vent outside the building
- All areas where gas is used must either have
an oxygen deficiency monitor or continuous ventilation system, which keeps
the oxygen levels in the room steady
- Oxygen alarms should be visually inspected
daily by trained staff members
- Storage tanks, piping, and other parts
of the system must be checked on a monthly basis
- Tests of the system must be conducted
regularly with either air or an inert gas
The Denver law sets out regulations
for the type of oxygen deficiency monitor, plus where and how to use them.
Acceptable monitors must be installed in any location where an inert gas leak
could result in an oxygen deficient environment where public health could be at
stake.
Oxygen detectors must be on an
approved device list and directly connected to the electrical supply and fire
alarm system for the site. The oxygen detectors must be permanently mounted to
the wall at a height which is consistent with the given gas's vapor density, so
they can work properly. The devices must be located within their specified
ranges of operation, in order to ensure the monitors can work as
intended.
The law prohibits self-zeroing or
auto calibrating devices, unless they can be spanned or zeroed to check
that the oxygen monitor is working as it should be. All installed oxygen
monitors must be calibrated regularly to ensure safe and
reliable operation.
Alongside mounted alarms, companies
must place signage that notifies employees of the oxygen monitor and gives
instructions for what to do in the event of an alarm. Typical instructions tell
staff to leave the building and call 911 if the alarm is going off.
Signs notifying employees of the risk
for oxygen deficiency must be posted anywhere inert gas is stored or used.
To further protect employees, the
Denver law mandates that gas be transported, filled, or moved only by qualified
individuals who follow protocol. All equipment, including piping systems, must
be inspected for competency and the organization must maintain records for a
period of three years.
Why an Oxygen Monitor is a
Practical Suggestion
Oxygen deficient environments occur
when an inert gas, such as helium, nitrogen, or argon, escapes into the
environment and begins to displace oxygen. Since these gases have no odor or
color, there is no way that staff working in the room can tell something is
leaking. As the oxygen levels fall, employees can experience confusion and
respiratory distress, resulting in death by asphyxiation.
An oxygen monitor tracks ambient
levels of oxygen and sets off an alarm when oxygen levels fall below the safe
threshold, thus protecting employee safety. Since employees can both hear and
see the alarm, they will know there is a problem even if they are operating
loud equipment that overrides the noise of the sensor.
Oxygen monitors are simple solutions
to pressing problems faced by organizations that rely on inert gases and want
to mitigate their risk.
PureAire's oxygen sensors are cost-efficient and high quality.
They are designed with a zirconium sensor, which is capable of lasting for as
long as 10 years. PureAire's oxygen
sensor is accurate in diverse environments, from storage freezers to basements.
The sensor functions between -40 and 55 C. While PureAire's oxygen monitors do not need to
be calibrated, they are capable of calibration, thus eligible for use in
Denver.
PureAire's monitors need little maintenance to work reliably
once they are installed using the included wall-mounting brackets, and they are
not affected by changes in the barometric pressure, a known problem with other
types of oxygen sensors. PureAire's products
can be set to measure oxygen levels of either 18 percent or 19.5 percent (which
is the OSHA action level), to comply with standards.
To learn more about oxygen monitors
from PureAire, and view
specifications, go to www.pureairemonitoring.com.
