Calibration and Asset Management Tool Helps Protect Workers in Hazardous Chemical and Petrochemical Environments

Blyth – International health and safety manufacturer, Dräger, is supporting employees in the expanding UK petrochemical and chemical industries with its calibration and management tool, the Dräger X-dock.

As optimism increases in the UK chemical and petrochemical industries, there is growing demand for personal protection, escape and gas detection devices in the plant environment, due to an increasing number of workers.

Companies are facing increasing pressure to improve safety standards and as confidence in the industry increases, a safer environment contributes toward attracting and retaining a skilled workforce.

Statistics cited by market intelligence provider Key Note predict a 2.6 per cent growth in the UK chemical industry in 2014, followed by a further 3.4 per cent in 2015. Therefore, products like the Dräger X-dock provide peace of mind for workers who continually must work amongst hundreds of very different and hazardous gases.

However, due to harsh conditions in the plant situation, along with wear and tear; gas detection units are often subjected to shock, sudden temperature change, dust, and other elements, and therefore to ensure a gas detector continues to operate effectively, it should be bump tested daily.

Dräger’s X-dock, which was launched last year, is a docking station management system which ensures portable gas detection devices at any plant, are working correctly. No two chemical plants are the same and the different versions of the X-dock available, ensure all bases are covered.

Kevin Honner, from Dräger, said: “Industries using portable gas detection equipment rely on these instruments to identify potentially fatal hazards and ultimately save lives. There could be hundreds of portable gas detection devices located at a major chemical or petrochemical plant. These need to be calibrated every six months and bump-tested daily to check they are working efficiently.

“The X-dock also offers a robust documentation and reporting function so that users can see the status of their entire portable gas detection instrument fleet at a glance. There is an increased emphasis on managing the fleet as a whole, rather than focusing on individual instruments.

“Logistically, the X-dock dramatically reduces the amount of time it takes to test and calibrate equipment, significantly reducing costs whilst improving the entire safety landscape in gas detection.”

In a highly competitive market, Dräger’s X-dock can simultaneously test up to ten portable gas detection devices significantly reducing the waiting time for testing and contributing to the fastest test throughput available. The device tests detectors which measure gases such as flammable gases, oxygen and an extensive range of toxic gases. The test results can be uploaded via a memory stick to a computer, if used as a standalone unit.

X-dock’s data management software, which can be installed on a plant’s computer, can quickly analyse calibration results and make sure they conform to specification. The software enables customers to obtain a valid and useful E-certificate and set of results.

Dräger’s support team can carry out training courses for portable gas detection users as well as Opito approved CBT Authorised Gas Tester courses. Contracts in line with customer requirements enable flexibility including rental options for peak demands such as maintenance operations and shut down periods.