Portable Gas Detectors - MiniRAE, Biosystems & RKI
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| When we first started offering gas detection instruments in the mid ‘70s, the technology seemed quite up to date and modern. After all, some models were now available with 2 sensors, and you could go almost an entire day without having to get out the tiny screwdriver to adjust the calibration. And yet, this was a step forward. Today we offer instruments from RAE Systems and RKI Instruments that have up to 6 sensors, that can go months between automatic calibrations. All the while, data logging is keeping a record of the observations. These and a host of other useful features make the current crop of portable gas detectors the best we have ever offered. But how does this help you, our customer? The underlying challenges that face your workers as they confront potentially dangerous situations are just as complex as ever. What helps is to have very reliable, easy to use and understand tools that give timely information that allow an informed decision to be made. Whether entering a confined space, assessing air quality in an office building or responding to a hazardous material spill, trained personnel make observations of the environment around them. In the case of gas detection, most of the hazards are beyond our ‘sense of smell’ to quantify. That is where portable gas detectors with substance specific and broad spectrum sensors step in. They extend our ability to ‘see’ the hazards around us and take appropriate action. So what has allowed this evolution to occur? First is sensor technology. The Hydrogen Sulfide sensors we used in the ‘70s were larger than a 35mm film canister and had liquid acid inside that was used up as the sensor was used. This made the unit position sensitive, you had to keep it upright, and it used a lot of power. Not to mention that the sensor output varied as the acid was consumed. Now, an RKI Instruments H2S sensor is the size of a watch battery and is so trouble free that it is warranted for 2 years, and will be replaced free if it fails. Then there are the electronics. Instead of a pointer needle on a sweep dial to give you readings, an energy efficient LCD screen shows you virtually everything you need to know at a glance, and far more with the press of a button. Underlying this are microprocessor chips that manage and store this information that may include temperature, humidity and time of day. But if the worker only need a ‘go - no go’ display, all of our instruments allow that as well. The sensors and electronics have reduced the power needed; this has allowed us to use smaller batteries. Then the introduction of Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries, which replaced Ni-Cad, further enhanced the utility of maintaining an instrument. So for some users, having a single gas instrument the size of a wrist watch, or a 4-gas monitor not much bigger than a deck of cards, is the answer to their needs. Of course not everybody wants small for the sake of being small. But now you do have the choice. Rick Pedley pks-store@pksafety.com |
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