PKSafety.com Blog

If you use a hoist for confined space entry on a regular basis, the DBI-SALA 8518000 Advanced 5-Piece Hoist System, though more expensive, is so far superior to a standard tripod they are hardly in the same category.

The Advanced 5-Piece Hoist System is designed to make entry and exit of confined spaces quick and reliable.  This system is lightweight, modular, and can be adapted to many different entry scenarios.

Especially popular with municipalities, water districts and other industries that have lots of double-hatch doors as their entrance for confined space entry, the 8518000 is easily managed by two workers.  Because double-hatch entry points are generally much wider than the standard manhole, tripods are generally not capable of providing adequate access.

The DBI-SALA 8518000 Advanced 5 Piece Hoist System is made of aluminum, so it’s amazingly light.  Each piece of the system is easy to carry.  This mobility and ease of set-up is a major advantage over other similar products.  When broken down, the pieces are small enough to fit into the trunk of a mid-sized car, and certainly would fit into the back of a pick-up with room to spare.

No tools are required to assemble the hoist system.  Simply fit the pieces together using pin locks, adjust the leg heights to fit your specific site, and you’ll have a strong, basic structure up very quickly.

Your main winch can easily be attached to the vertical pole for simple lowering and retrieval.  In addition, a secondary winch can also be attached if you are going into a space that doesn’t have a ladder or other means of climbing support.  In that case you will need two winches – one for fall protection, and one for retrieval.  Both winches can fit easily onto this one unit.

One more advantage to the 5818000 over standard tripods or other hoist systems is the pivoting arm.  Even with several hundred pounds of weight, either from a person or a piece of equipment, the top section pivots easily and can move the load out and to the side of the entry point.

Tripods work fine when you only have to use them on the rare occasion, but if you need a dependable system that is a big step up from a standard tripod set-up, you can learn more about the Advanced 5-Piece Hoist System from the folks at PK Safety.

Justin Confined Space Confined Space Entry, confined space hoist, confined space winch, hoist, hoist system, OSHA standards, winch

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) would like your gas detectors calibrated before each use. A full calibration for a 4-gas monitor requires about $6.60 worth of calibration gas, and takes about 5 minutes. This should be all the answer anyone needs, but in practice if your company has 500 monitors, it isn’t always practical and OSHA and ANSI know it.

In text attempting to clarify the issue, the two regulatory agencies submit that it is best to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for calibration. If only these instructions were consistent, the problem would likely be solved. However, upon closer inspection, the manufacturer guidelines are also a little fuzzy.

For instance, the manufacturer of a 4-gas diffusion monitor provides an on-screen countdown of 180 days explaining in their literature that the monitor does not need to be calibrated until then. That same company produces a single-gas monitor which is supposed to be self-calibrating and last for a full two years. All fine and good, until you consider that they both use the same sensors.

OSHA refers on their website to recommendations from the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA), a trade association for manufacturers of protective equipment, including environmental monitoring instruments. The ISEA recommends, at a minimum, verification of sensor accuracy before each day’s use. This does not necessarily include calibration, but would require bump testing – the process of subjecting the gas monitor to the gas(es) they are supposed to detect and making sure they register – each day.

The ISEA provides information about the differences between bump testing and full calibrations, and I’ll include it here because it does supply a good description of the process of when bump testing is helpful and when it isn’t enough:

In practice we have heard that companies develop their own intervals of when to bump test and when to calibrate. Our clients inform us that if they use their monitors infrequently, say every 30 days or less, then they do calibrate each time they monitor so they have confidence the monitor is responding properly. On the other hand, companies that use their devices all the time, say daily, have told us they calibrate far less frequently, perhaps every 4-6 months, but do bump testing more often (every couple of weeks) to make sure the devices are registering.

Since this is already confusing, let’s go ahead and mix in the legal implications of the data provided by the gas monitors. For readings to hold up in court as incontrovertible your gas detector must be calibrated both before and immediately after each use. This is the only way to be completely sure the monitor is functioning properly.

What we say is that it’s important to create an environment where safety is important; where all equipment – not just monitors, but harnesses, lanyards, SRLs, winches and other PPE – are checked regularly.

As for the monitors, the best information we have comes from the president of RKI Instruments, a gas monitor manufacturer who wrote an article for the National Safety Council. He explained that folks who “bump test” before each use can extend the calibration cycle to “three to six months for instruments that successfully pass the bump gas test”.

It’s also important to remember that bump testing or calibration is especially necessary when a gas monitor has been potentially damaged. The monitors are made to be durable and work for extended periods on tough work sites, but they are also sensitive instruments and severe conditions such as high gas concentrations, extreme temperatures, falls or electrical shocks cannot be assumed to have left the device fully operational. If you want to be sure your monitor is working correctly, you must bump test. If your device fails bump testing, you must calibrate to make sure the sensors and the monitor are able to provide their life saving alerts.

Justin Confined Space 4 Gas Monitor, 4-gas detector, ANSI, bump testing, BW, calibration, docking station, Gas Detector, gas monior, gas monitor calibration, MSA, OSHA, RAE Systems

The wine making industry has grown tremendously in the US over the past 20 years. Professionals and hobbyists alike ferment great quantities of pressed grapes to produce the ancient ambrosia. However, not all parts of the wine making process bring joy. There is a serious side to viticulture where cleaning equipment, tanks, vats and other confined spaces may hide potentially lethal dangers for those who press the noble grape.

Confined spaces within the wine industry can relate to any areas, fully enclosed, partially enclosed or even open topped, which are not intended to be a normal, habitable workspace. These can include fermentation vats, bins, and even some barrels. Because of the nature of fermentation as well as chemicals used for cleaning equipment (such as Potassium Metabisulfite and others), there are opportunities for sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon dioxide (CO2), ethanol (EtOH) and even water vapor to create unsafe work atmospheres in these potentially dangerous areas where workers are required operate.

For permit required confined spaces in tanks and vats, an airline respirator is often the only appropriate respiratory device. However, in technically non-confined spaces where fumes or chemicals may be present, ventilation is critical as are respirators with filters that protect against acid gas and other organic vapors such as the 3M 6003m Organic Vapor/Acid Gas Cartridge or the Moldex 7600 Multi-Gas Vapor Smart Cartridge.

There is ample evidence to suggest that even well-trained personnel can drown or be asphyxiated when their work requires them to be exposed to the dangerous atmospheres created by wine making in a small or confined area. Wherever possible, tank work should be done without entering the tank or vat space. Long handled tools for shoveling and automated cleaning systems can keep wine makers away from potential danger.

Entry into areas that may contain toxic environments must be made by people trained in confined space entry. Those workers must have the appropriate protective gear (PPE) including a gas monitor for testing the atmosphere, a means of safe entrance and egress of the space, and the ability to be retrieved by competent people outside the space if they are overcome while working.

For all wine makers, the best line of defense against potential harm is knowledge of the dangers lurking in confined spaces. Training and written confined space programs are a must for a professional enterprise so these dangers are apparent to all workers. All areas that may contain dangerous atmospheres where a person might conceivably enter and become trapped should be labeled with warning signs and written permissions must be obtained each time workers want to enter those spaces.

To paraphrase the famous California wine maker Paul Masson, “We will enter no confined space before it has been properly ventilated and checked for any and all atmospheric hazards.” Or something like that.

Photo credit: Cornell Blog

Justin Confined Space acid gas, Confined Space, Confined Space Entry, Gas Monitor, organic vapor, Respirator, wine tank

We never realize how dark it is until we need light. Example? Try changing a tire in the dark. More numerous are instances in which a little more light would be extremely helpful, like hooking up a stereo, putting up Christmas lights, looking for keys dropped by a party guest, the list goes on. A good solution for these troublesome events is a gadget that is hands-free. The best solution is a product that outperforms all others. It’s why PK is excited to offer all of our Petzl headlamps at ten percent off, just in time for the handyman or woman on your Christmas list. It is crush, water, and chemical resistant, can attach to a helmet or stand, and is tested in real world conditions by Petzl engineers.

I’ll never forget when I first saw one of these headlamps. My uncle used one on our fishing trips and it made tying on lures in the pre-dawn light a snap. He caught twice the fish of anyone else, and did not tire of reminding us. He’s one of those guys who has every gadget under the sun. If you have a relative that fits this description, a headlamp is a great and very unexpected gift. Or, if you have a relative who wears a headlamp as part of his or her job, the Petzl headlamp is a top of the line upgrade. Simply enter the code “PETZLBRIGHT” when you check out between now and January 1, 2012 to receive your discount. With ten percent off, these headlamps are simply the best gear at the best price.

Mike Confined Space 2, Christmas Gifts for Guys, Discount, Headlamp, Petzl, Pixa, Pixa 1, Pixa 3

When considering work in confined spaces or around dangerous gases, it is important to have gas detectors present so that dangerous levels of gases can be detected. This helps you make informed decisions about whether to start work, and in the event of a problem, providing time for workers to get to safety. With so many choices in gas detection, it may be difficult to choose the right unit for you. Here is a recent question I got regarding just that.

I am interested in purchasing a 4-gas monitor. I am looking at the Honeywell Gas Alert Quattro and Honeywell Gas Alert Micro Clip XT. I had a few questions about the models.

Do the standard monitor settings meet OSHA standards or we do not have to program the standard gas levels into the device?

Both of these units come pre-programmed with OSHA alarm levels, though these can be modified if you want stricter settings. In fact, all of the gas detectors we sell for confined space entry have these alarm limits built in.

Once gas levels reach the set threshold, the units will alarm. Each unit will alarm in 3 ways, lights, beeps and vibration to ensure that you are aware of the change in gas levels.

Do the monitors detect all of the gases constantly?

Yes, all 4 gases are constantly monitored, and all 4 are constantly displayed on both the Quattro and the Micro Clip.

I noticed that there is an alkaline Quattro and Micro Clip XT and there is also a rechargeable version of each. Do they plug into the wall to recharge or do they require batteries?

The ones we stock and sell are rechargeable. They come with the rechargeable batteries already installed, and 110VAC wall charger. As an accessory, we also sell a 12VDC vehicle charging adapter.

What are some of the similarities and differences between the two models?

The Quattro is a little larger physically, and more robust, while the Micro Clip is smaller, lighter and cheaper. They are functionally the same. Each has 4 sensors, is diffusion based, and is rechargeable. Some clients are focused on longevity, and the Quattro fills that bill nicely. Others are more focused on price, and this is where the Micro Clip comes in.

Do the devices have to be calibrated within a certain timeframe?

That is a controversial subject. OSHA would have you calibrate it before each use. In practice, our customers come up with their own intervals. If the unit is used infrequently, say once a month, it should be calibrated every time. If you use it a few times a week, then maybe an occasional bump test will be enough to allow you to calibrate less often. The idea is to make sure the unit is working properly. It is important to remember that these units are protecting your life. They are very stable, but test gas is really the only way to be sure they are calibrated correctly.

If you are looking for a 4-gas diffusion monitor, the Honeywell Gas Alert Quattro and the Honeywell Gas Alert Micro Clip XT are among the top sellers in the market. We sell A LOT of these each month, and they seem to make our customers very happy.

If you are looking into getting a gas detector we love both BW and RAE. Between the two brands, gas sniffer performance is about the same. Sensor technology is the limiting factor, and all brands are more or less on the same page there. Reliability is pretty good across all these brands. There can be hiccups with any of them for sure, but don’t forget that these are complex devices, intended for use by trained professionals. If you have any questions about which gas detector would be right for your job, feel free to contact us and ask.

Administrator Confined Space 4 Gas Monitor, Confined Space, Four Gas, Gas Alert, Gas Detector, Gas Monitor, Gas Sniffer, Honeywell, Micro Clip, Microclip, OSHA, Quattro, RAE

I recently got some questions regarding RAE Systems Gas Detection Tubes and I wanted to clarify their use.

First, what are they? Gas detection tubes offer a quick way to determine the presence or concentration of specific chemicals in air. This is well established technology, and has been offered by a few manufacturers for many years. The theory is that specific reagents change color as they absorb certain chemicals. This color change, or stain, is predictable and measurable. This is also how they come to be called Colorimetric Measurement Tubes.

These tubes are essentially sealed glass tubes that resemble short straws, and are filled with sorbent granules. The granules may be different colors depending on what gas the tube is supposed to be measuring. The outside of the tubes are printed with a graduated measurement scale that allows you directly read the concentration.

When ordering tubes, remembered that they are listed by the specific chemical to be measured, and in most cases, with a specific concentration range. That is, you might have a certain tube to measure 100–500ppm and another for 500-2000ppm of the same chemical. For the sake of this example, let’s say you would like to measure the amount of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in the air.

To use, break the tips off of the tube at both ends (a tip breaker is included with the pump) and place in the RAE piston hand pump. Then draw air through the pump. This pump draws a very specific amount of air (100cc) through the tubes. The granulated chemicals within the tube will react with the CO2 and will ‘stain’ to a given length based on the CO2 concentration. This concentration is read directly on the scale on the tube. The reading is referred to as ‘qualitative’ and is usually within +/- 20% of the actual gas content. Temperature, humidity and the ‘crispness’ of the stain all play into this inherent variability.

It is important to realize that these tubes only gather a snapshot of the air at that moment. They are also only for one time use. Once you have drawn air through the tubes you cannot use them again. The pump, however, is a sturdy piece of equipment and can be used over and over again.

It is also important to note that these are only meant to measure gas content in air. These cannot measure dissolved gas content in water or another liquid. You can use these tubes to measure the air above a tank, down a sewer, at the top of a monitoring well, or in many other locations to detect gases and vapors produced by solids and liquids.

These tubes are relatively inexpensive so they are a great tool if you don’t need constant air readings. Happy measuring!

Administrator Confined Space Acetone, Ammonia, Benzene, Butane, Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Chlorine, Colorimetric Gas Detection, Formaldehyde, Hydrocarbons, Hydrogen Chloride, Hydrogen Sulfide, Mercaptans, Methyl Bromide, Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Nitrogen Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxides, Ozone, Phosphine, Sulfur Dioxide, Toluene, Trichloroethylene, Vinyl Chloride, Water Vapor, Xylene