Safety Alert
Failure to detect dangerous gas/vapour due to incorrect specification of sample tube
Failure to detect dangerous gas/vapour due to incorrect specification of sample tube
- HSE
- Safety Alert
- CEMHD1-2020
- Hazardous SubstancesMachinery and EquipmentProcess Safety
- ExplosionHazardous substances
- Hot work
- Gas detector
- Functional testingAtmospheric gas testing
- Downstream and process industries
Summary
This safety alert examines misleading readings from pumped gas detectors caused by vapour adsorption inside unsuitable sampling tubes. A fatal explosion followed hot work based on a false reading. It recommends checking detector–tube combinations with the substance of interest where practicable and assessing sampling-system response times.
Classifications: Explosion; explosive atmospheres.
Classifications: Hazardous substances; hazardous chemicals; chemical exposure.
Classifications: Hot work; welding and cutting.
Classifications: Gas detector; gas monitor; gas detection instrument.
Classifications: Functional testing; function test.
Classifications: Atmospheric gas testing; gas testing; atmosphere testing.
Classifications: Downstream and process industries; refining; petrochemicals.
Summary
Safety alert concerning failure to detect dangerous gases or vapours because of incorrectly specified sample tubes.
CEMHD1-2020. Themes: hazardous substances, machinery and equipment, process safety.