For gas detection equipment that is totally reliable, you need Crowcon

When lives and property are at risk and you need gas detection equipment that is totally reliable, you need Crowcon. For over 40 years Crowcon has been developing and manufacturing high quality products with a reputation for reliability and technical innovation.

Crowcon provide both single gas and multigas monitors for personal monitoring and portable safety applications providing protection against a wide range of industrial gas hazards and it is Crowcon’s philosophy that each should be properly suited to its task.

The marine environment is a dangerous one; everyone can appreciate the hazards afforded by high seas in a storm or beneath the waves, such as rocks and coral reefs. Less well recognised, however, are the dangers posed to mariners by the confined spaces of the ship itself, or the hazards presented by the cargo a vessel is carrying or the process being carried out on-board.

To ensure the safety of mariners, gas monitoring equipment is essential. Gas detection equipment requires specific marine environment testing and certification to ensure suitability to the extreme environments in which it must operate. Safety systems are regulated by region and the flag state or the registry of the vessel decides what type and volume of approved equipment the ship has to carry. The European Marine Equipment Directive (MED) approval is internationally recognised. Gas detectors used by mariners onboard a vessel registered in an EU country must hold MED approval and show the wheel mark. Crowcon provides a range of wheel-marked gas detectors, ideal for use on-board ships, to enable compliance with the directive.

Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)

The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is one of the oldest conventions of its kind. The first version was adopted in 1914 following the sinking of the R.M.S. “TITANIC” with the loss of more than 1500 lives. The present version is SOLAS 1974 which entered into force in 1980.
Parts of the Convention apply to every ship, including small pleasure craft.

Vessels that are classified as passenger or cargo ships greater than 500 gross tons and engaged on an international voyage are subject to the new requirement. The regulations, unless expressly provided otherwise, do not apply to:

1. Ships of war and troopships
2. Cargo ships of less than 500 gross tons
3. Ships not propelled by mechanical means
4. Wooden ships of primitive build
5. Pleasure yachts not engaged in trade
6. Fishing vessels

Amendments are regularly made to the published version of SOLAS and adopted by referenced resolutions. There have been a number of resolutions specific to the use of portable gas detection aboard vessels.

SOLAS Resolution A.1050(27) defines an enclosed space as:

1. Enclosed space means a space which has any of the following characteristics:
2. limited openings for entry and exit;
3. inadequate ventilation; and
4. is not designed for continuous worker occupancy,

and includes, but is not limited to, cargo spaces, double bottoms, fuel tanks, ballast tanks, cargo pump-rooms, cargo compressor rooms, cofferdams, chain lockers, void spaces, duct keels, inter-barrier spaces, boilers, engine crankcases, engine scavenge air receivers, sewage tanks, and adjacent connected spaces. This list is not exhaustive and a list should be produced on a ship-by-ship basis to identify enclosed spaces.

Confined (Enclosed) Space Entry (CSE)

On 1 January 2015, within SOLAS Resolution MSC.350(92), it became mandatory for all crew members with enclosed space entry or rescue responsibilities to participate in an enclosed space entry and rescue drill. These drills are to be held on board the ship at least once every two months. This drill includes the checking and use of atmospheric measuring devices.

T4 is a portable multigas detector, providing effective protection against the 4 common gas hazards experienced in the marine industry. Offering you compliance, robustness and low cost of ownership in a simple to use solution. T4 contains a wide range of powerful features to make everyday use easier and safer. Crowcon’s toughest portable yet, T4 allows uninterrupted working in the most demanding environments.

Part numbers
T4-HOCA-MD-CRD  T4 4 gas MED – H2S, O2, CO, CH4 % LEL MED & charger
T4-ZOCA-MD-CRD  T4 4 gas MED – T4 3 gas MED – O2,CO,CH4 % LEL MED & charger
T4-HOZA-MD-CRD  T4 3 gas MED – H2S,O2,CH4 % LEL MED & charger
T4-ZOZA-MD-CRD  T4 2 gas MED – O2,CH4 % LEL MED & charger

Confined (Enclosed) Space Testing

From 1st July 2016, SOLAS Resolution MSC.380(94) requires specific classes of vessels to carry appropriate atmosphere testing equipment that is capable of measuring concentrations of oxygen, flammable gases or vapours, hydrogen sulphide and carbon monoxide prior to entry into enclosed spaces. The SOLAS document: ‘Guidelines to facilitate the selection of portable atmosphere testing instruments for enclosed spaces as required by SOLAS regulation XI-1/7’ highlights specific portable instrument attributes including (not limited to) the ability to remote sample, to perform a self-test, to have a minimum battery run-time of 10 hours and have clear instructions.

Voluntary compliance with this SOLAS regulation has been highly recommended since 1st January 2015 when the enclosed space entry and rescue drill requirement (Chapter III, regulation 19) came into effect.

Gas-Pro is a confined space entry monitor, in a compact and rugged solution with an easy-to-read top mount display delivering ease of use and single button operation. The internal pump, activated with the flow plate, takes the pain out of pre-entry testing and allows Gas-Pro to be worn either in pumped or diffusion modes required for either atmosphere testing or personnel entering the space.

Part numbers
GPPE8ABC-DADBZZFDOC  Gas-Pro 4 gas MED – CH4 %LEL, O2, CO, H2S – cradle & MR charger*
GPPE8ABA-DADBZZFDOC  Gas-Pro 4 gas MED – CH4 %LEL, O2, CO, H2S – MR charger
GPPE8ABC-ACZZFDOCZZ  Gas-Pro 3 gas MED – CH4 %LEL, O2, CO – cradle & MR charger
GPPE8ABA-ACZZFDOCZZ  Gas-Pro 3 gas MED – CH4 %LEL, O2, CO – MR charger
GPPE8ABC-ALZZFDOCZZ  Gas-Pro 3 gas MED – CH4 %LEL, O2, H2S – cradle & MR charger
GPPE8ABA-ALZZFDOCZZ  Gas-Pro 3 gas MED – CH4 %LEL, O2, H2S – MR charger
GPPE8ABC-ZZZZFDOCZZ  Gas-Pro 2 gas MED – CH4 %LEL, O2 – cradle & MR charger
GPPE8ABA-ZZZZFDOCZZ  Gas-Pro 2 gas MED – CH4 %LEL, O2 – MR charger

Tank Purging and Inert Gas Monitoring

An inert space is a space that has been purged with nitrogen or other gas mixtures that doesn’t contain oxygen. Spaces containing a petroleum-based product and empty product storage spaces are two of the main examples of an inert space. Purging these spaces prevents the accumulation of a flammable mixture. The most common type of detector used to test for flammable gases is a catalytic type sensor, which senses combustible gases at LEL levels. This type of sensor needs oxygen to function – so if there isn’t any, or it’s at a low level, it won’t work. Infrared sensors are better suited to this environment as they don’t require oxygen to function.

With its dual infrared sensors and ability to check tanks both full of hydrocarbon and fully purged, Tank-Pro meets the unique challenges presented by inert spaces. The dual range sensor auto-ranges between high %vol and %LEL concentrations. The integrated pump quickly draws samples through lines up to 30 metres long, so tanks and pipes can be checked quickly and efficiently. During the unique ‘Tank check mode’ the toxic and oxygen alarms are inhibited to ensure the user is focused on the task at hand, which is to monitor the volume of flammable gas present.

Part numbers
GTPE8AAA-ZZDADBRGOC  Gas-Pro 4 gas MED – CH4 %LEL, O2, CO, H2S – cradle & MR* charger
GTPE8AAC-ZZDADBRGOC  Gas-Pro 4 gas MED – CH4 %LEL, O2, CO, H2S – MR charger
GTPE8AAA-ACZZRGOCZZ  Gas-Pro 3 gas MED – CH4 %LEL, O2, CO – cradle & MR charger
GTPE8AAC-ACZZRGOCZZ  Gas-Pro 3 gas MED – CH4 %LEL, O2, CO – MR charger
GTPE8AAA-ALZZRGOCZZ  Gas-Pro 3 gas MED – CH4 %LEL, O2, H2S – cradle & MR charger
GTPE8AAC-ALZZRGOCZZ  Gas-Pro 3 gas MED – CH4 %LEL, O2, H2S – MR charger
GTPE8AAA-ZZZZRGOCZZ  Gas-Pro 2 gas MED – CH4 %LEL, O2 – cradle & MR charger

Personal Safety

Specific risk assessments highlight the requirement for additional safety. In these situations, a single gas monitor can be an effective and efficient solution. Covering the most common gas types, and weighing between 118g and 139g, Gasman is extremely durable, with high impact resistance and dust/water ingress protection. The loud 95 dB alarms, vivid red/ blue visual warning, single-button control and an easy-to-read backlit LCD display ensure clear viewing of gas level readings, alarm conditions and battery life.

Part numbers
GS-AG-A-062-G   Gasman single gas MED – O2 rechargeable
GS-AG-B-062-G  Gasman single gas MED – O2 non-rechargeable
GS-AA-A-062-G  Gasman single gas MED – CH4 %LEL rechargeable
GS-AC-A-062-G  Gasman single gas MED – C5H12 %LEL rechargeable
GS-AH-A-062-G  Gasman single gas MED – CO rechargeable
GS-AH-B-062-G  Gasman single gas MED – CO non-rechargeable
GS-AI-A-062-G  Gasman single gas MED – H2S rechargeable
GS-AI-B-062-G  Gasman single gas MED – H2S non-rechargeable

Test Stations For Detector Compliance

I-Test is Crowcon’s fully automated solution for testing and verifying that Gas-Pro and T4 are in a compliant state to carry out daily work. Bump testing standards are getting tighter in all regions and the need for controlled bump and calibration records is a must. I-Test and the accompanying I-Test manager software makes this as easy as can be. It takes less than 1 minute to complete a bump test!

I-Test is easy to use with no requirements to turn on and off the gas: the design of the demand flow regulator coupled with the I-Test will allow the automatic pull of the correct required amount and concentration of gas. I-Test can also recognise cylinders that are empty or those that have expired allowing full compliance.

I-Test stores all bump and calibration results and this can then be interrogated using the I-Test Manager software. This powerful software allows exception reporting to see who has and hasn’t carried out their bump or calibrations. I-Test Manager also makes it very easy to print both bump and calibration certificates and any tailored reports that have been generated.

Specification Overview

One hundred and fifteen incidents were reported in UK waters alone between March 1998 and Aug 2013, and these included 103 fatalities and 107 injuries, although it is suspected that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Statistics from the Marine Accident Investigators’ International Forum (Fig. 1) show, of death and injury caused by gas hazards onboard ship, oxygen depletion is the biggest killer, followed by poisoning from carbon monoxide, then hydrogen sulphide.

Entering confined spaces should be avoided when possible. However, it may be necessary to survey a hold, clean a tank, or repair damage. If entry to a confined space can not be avoided, the correct permits to work should be obtained, and good confined space entry procedures should be adhered to.

To ensure the safety of mariners in confined spaces, gas monitoring equipment is essential. Gas detection equipment is covered by the Marine Equipment Directive (MED). Therefore, gas detector units provided for use by mariners onboard a vessel registered in an EU country must hold MED approval and show the wheel mark.

Crowcon provides a range of wheel-marked gas detectors, ideal for use on board ships, to enable compliance with the directive, whether you require a single gas monitor or a unit that will detect multiple gases.