Portable gas detection has come a long way. Its history is comparable to that of the mobile phone in
the sense that it began life as a cumbersome brick supported by a briefcase-sized battery, before
evolving into the small,
Portable gas detection has come a long way. Its history is comparable to that of the mobile phone in
the sense that it began life as a cumbersome brick supported by a briefcase-sized battery, before
evolving into the small, highly functional device we recognise today
Just like our functionality rich mobile
phones, today's portable gas
detectors are small, unobtrusive and
capable of carrying out a variety of
different tasks. However, with so many
options in the marketplace, selecting a
device that will work best for your plant
strategy can be like finding a needle in a
haystack.
Today's portable devices don't just
protect life, they also deliver this
protection at a reduced cost of ownership,
so taking the time to select the right
solution can dramatically reduce the
ongoing costs associated with a portable
fleet. Aspects like multi-gas simultaneous
monitoring capabilities, auto calibration
functionality, automatic data logging and
plug and play pre-calibrated sensors all
help to reduce the ongoing cost of gas
detection by up to 40% over a three year
operating life; an attractive prospect for
any business.
This cost reduction enables more
operators to have a gas detector of their
own for the same overall budget of the site
- thus enabling the protection and safety
of more lives. It also catalyses a trend
towards multiple gas detection instead of
single gas detection. This means that
workers can be better protected against
multiple risks than ever before.
You CAN have it all
The good news for today's customer is
that you don't necessarily have to make a
choice between cost and functionality. A
device like GasAlertMicroClip XT, the
latest 4-gas portable from BW
Technologies by Honeywell, provides
impressive protection against
environmental hazards, enhanced site
safety and incredibly simple ease of use -
all at a surprisingly affordable price.
In fact, devices like GasAlertMicroClip
XT prove the point that you don't have to
invest in high-cost devices to get a smart
solution that offers great functionality and
the ability to reduce operational costs. As
the smallest, most light-weight and
simplest 4-gas portable gas detector in its
class, GasAlertMicroClip XT offers
superior detection of up to four classes
of gases (H2S, CO, O2 and
combustibles), without the compromise
of dual sensor technology; unlike
many comparable units
on the market. The
device's one-button
operation with intuitive
interface ensures the
device requires minimal
training to use. This helps
to cut down training costs
and increase safety by
helping to ensure that the
device will be used every
workday and provides
operators with a simple
use solution that helps
them focus on getting their
job done.
GasAlertMicroClip XT
also features the acclaimed
IntelliFlash technology
developed by BW
Technologies by Honeywell,
which provides a visual
indication of device
compliance; IntelliFlash
provides an instantly accessible
indication to both supervisors and
operators of a device's compliance to site
standards and ensures non-compliant
devices are easily identifiable. This also
helps to improve operator safety and
maximise device compliance on site.
Products like GasAlertMicroClip XT
highlight the fierce competition in the
portable gas detection marketplace, as
manufacturers work hard to innovate
solutions that deliver more value, more
safety and improved ease of use, at an
attractive price.
Time is money
Any time saved carrying out a job can
equate to large cost savings over time; in
fact, the ongoing cost of maintenance is
identified as the biggest outlay associated
with a portable device over its life, when a
serviceable option is chosen over a
disposable solution. This is one of the
catalysts for the growing popularity of
disposable devices, like the GasAlertClip
Extreme from BW Technologies by
Honeywell, that provide zero maintenance
over product life (up to three years). The
good news for serviceable devices is that
new technologies such as automatic
docking and test stations are helping to
greatly reduce ongoing costs and save
notable time regarding fleet management.
An automatic docking device like
MicroDock II from BW Technologies by
Honeywell provides a simple one-button
solution to auto data logging and bump
testing and works with all of the BW
Technologies by Honeywell portable
range, including GasAlertMicroClip XT. A
version is also available offering the
additional aspect of auto calibration of
portable units
A device like GasAlertMicroClip XT
can be clicked into the docking station in
a second, and the user has the option of
carrying out three tasks; performing a
bump test; carrying out a data transfer; or
performing a calibration. Each of these
activities can be performed with a single
button press and are completed in just a
few moments. Test gas levels are
controlled and minimal training is
required to use the device, reducing the
time spent testing and ensuring the
portable unit is ready to detect gas
effectively.
Depending on a site's safety policy, a
portable unit may be being tested as much
as once a day. A manual bump test taking
5 minutes to complete compared with two
minutes using MicroDock II equates to a
time saving of 12 hrs over a year. Expand
this to 100 workers bump testing their
devices once per day and the 60% time
saving delivers a 1,200-hour time saving
over a year. MicroDock II will keep
records of the instruments that were
tested, hence helping site safety managers
to identify groups that are not compliant
with site policies.
When combined with its accompanying
Fleet Manager II software, MicroDock II
can help to save time and money in a
variety of ways. For example, a store
manager can cut the time spent issuing a
new portable device to an operator from
about half an hour to just five minutes -
with no paper trail or forms to be filled
out. At a site issuing just one portable
device per month, the manager would
have saved five hrs carrying out this
activity after a year.
The automatic generation of paperwork
such as fleet status reports and calibration
certificates can also be greatly reduced
with devices like MicroDock II when
combined with Fleet Manager II software;
data can be downloaded with a single
button press and a few minutes wait using
the device's data logging facility and this
information can be easily converted into a
variety of reports by using the intuitive
software interface and a PC.
Adding value is increasingly important
in today's marketplace as suppliers and
service providers fight to gain market
share and differentiate from the
competition. The combination of
MicroDock II and Fleet Manager II, when
used for ongoing care of a portable device
like GasAlertMicroClip XT, is particularly
beneficial to service providers, allowing
them to add more value to their
customers by giving them data on fleet
use and status, facilitating better client
advice and guidance.
Seeing is believing
Safety is an increasingly important aspect
for businesses today. Enhanced on-site
safety can help to reduce insurance
premiums and prevent unnecessary
injuries and accidents that are not only
dangerous to life, but also potentially very
costly to a business in terms of fines, legal
fees and damage to brand and reputation
caused by adverse publicity.
The automatic data logging of portable
devices like GasAlertMicroClip XT further
enhances the value of the device's
IntelliFlash technology. Imagine a site
looking to enforce portable device testing
twice a week. An operator begins his shift,
docks his device into MicroDock II and
carries out an automatic gas test to ensure
the device is detecting gases in the right
way. After the bump test is completed, he
also automatically logs data from the
device, meaning that the Fleet Manager has
instant and easy access to all information
relating to that device. The operator then
begins his shift, and the fact he has carried
out a bump test, causes the IntelliFlash
technology in his GasAlertMicroClip XT
detector to visibly show a clear green status
indication to anyone working around him;
this means his device compliance is
instantly accessible to supervisors and
workers. If he forgets to bump test his
device one day, the lack of visual status
confirmation will highlight his noncompliance
very quickly.
When you consider that the site in
question may be detecting dangerous
toxic gas hazards such as H2S, that can
cause serious harm or even death in small
quantities, failure to bump test can mean
the difference between life and death.
This scenario highlights the fact that
combining the right portable gas detector
with the right docking device, can provide
a solution much greater than the sum of
its parts, offering notable time and cost
savings, whilst also increasing site safety.
Gemma Bayless
Email: gemma.bayless@honeywell.com
