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Parent Category: Safety Info Posts

Category: Hazardous Materials

Published: 30 July 2021

We often get asked: Do I neet to install a gas detector in the room?

Well, it's pretty easy in my state, as in most cases we have dealt with, the state fire/HAZMAT code required it.  The code includes basic requirements for ALL gas detection systems and covers:

• construction documents,
• equipment,
• power connections, emergency and standby power,
• sensor locations, gas sampling,
• system activation,
• signage,
• fire alarm system connections,
• maintenance, testing, and sensor calibration

For example, meat production facilities use Nitrogen or CO2 in their packaging system to ensure the packaging is void of Oxygen.  This should be a red flag for safety... we are using an inert gas to ensure the inside of the packaging is void of Oxygen (e.g., it keeps the meat from losing its original color).  What happens if this inert gas leaks into the space where the workers are?  Can it also deplete the oxygen in the atmosphere they are breathing?

Simply stated, YES, it can, and when it happens, NO ONE will be the wiser that it is happening until it is too late.

Unfortunately, OSHA has not kept up with the times and does NOT have a standard for this type of hazard.  So I go to my trusty state codes, which are almost always some adaption of the International Fire, Mechanical, and Building code(s). 

In Chapter 53 of the IFC, we find the requirements for this type of asphyxiation hazard:

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