After a recent carbon monoxide leak at an Erlanger, KY office complex, building management did not have to look far to find a gas detection solution. To provide early warning of any future leaks, management purchased Eikon portable personal detectors and Xgard fixed gas detectors from one of the building’s tenants, gas detection specialist Crowcon.
A faulty boiler was identified as the culprit for the leak that prompted an early morning evacuation of the complex, a combination office, service, and manufacturing space that houses five companies of the UK-based Halma global protection and detection technology group. When the fire department arrived, carbon monoxide readings were estimated in the 200-300 ppm range. After clearing the building with fans and repairing the boiler, building management purchased several Crowcon products in order to warn of any future gas dangers.
“We do mostly administrative and service work here,” explains Crowcon sales office manager Lisa French. “Typically you associate specific environments -- like warehouses with a lot of exhaust or heavy duty manufacturing operations -- with having a high potential for gas to cause a health hazard. This incident was a wake-up call that just like in private homes, there are gas dangers inherent in our everyday living systems, and we need to protect ourselves accordingly.”
Two-Pronged Approach
The building management chose a two-pronged approach to protect building employees from future leaks: Eikon portable detectors and fixed-point Xgard gas detectors with Gasmaster control panel.
The Eikon portable detectors provide maintenance-free continuous monitoring in each of the building’s five offices. When carbon monoxide is detected, audible and visual alarms give effective warning of hazardous conditions. The units have a two-year service life and can be tested and calibrated, a feature not available on consumer carbon monoxide products. The Eikon is also available in hydrogen sulphide, chlorine, ammonia, or oxygen deficiency monitoring versions.
In the building’s boiler room, two Xgard detector heads were installed -- one for carbon monoxide detection and one for natural gas detection. A Gasmaster control panel mounted in the building’s front lobby, combined with audible and visual alarms at the building’s front and rear entrances, will alert to dangerous conditions both inside the building and as people approach from the outside.
Xgard detectors are available in a variety of options to suit specific application needs. They are designed for either wall or ceiling mounting without the need for additional brackets, with accessories for duct mounting and special models available for high-temperature settings. The Gasmaster control panel’s large LCD display provides simultaneous display of all channels and alarm/fault messages. Simple pushbutton operation performs all operation, calibration, and test functions from the panel keypad.