Working with natural gas, electricity and wastewater is dangerous—OH&S professionals need to have the proper equipment and the fastest emergency response plan in place in case team members need help. Utilities and Public Works organizations are entrusted to build and maintain infrastructure for delivery of public services. While these operations have procedures in place to offer crucial resources to the public, they also need to ensure the right safety practices are in place to protect their most valuable asset—their employees.

While the renewable energy industry is safer than fossil fuel related jobs, workers are susceptible to many of the same hazards as traditional energy and construction. Whether it’s from biomass, wind, hydroelectric or solar sources, workers face a number of hazards including hydrogen (H2), oxygen depletion and falls or emergencies for lone workers in remote areas.

There is a high risk for petrochemical workers who can potentially be exposed to various hazardous atmospheres, oxygen deficient environments, and explosions and fires. And with a long list of potential toxic atmospheres depending on the product being manufactured, a flexible and layered gas detection program, with both personal gas detectors and area monitors, is a must. From production to processing to storage, safety managers and plant engineers need to ensure the safety of all workers in the facility at all times.

Crude oil, ethanol, LNG, Toxic Inhalation Hazard (TIH) chemicals such as chlorine, sulfur dioxide and ammonia– these are just a few of the dangers transportation workers face but are crucial components in maintaining the supply chain for other industries. Flammables and TIH materials create risk for shippers, rail carriers and surrounding neighborhoods should an accident occur since they can easily spread through the air. With the added risk of confined space entries, it’s imperative that transportation and shipping companies have a robust and connected gas detection safety program.

From the chemicals in digester units and possible release of hydrogen sulfide to the chlorine in the bleaching process and the sulfur dioxide in pulp washing, pulp and paper workers face a variety of hazardous atmospheric situations as well as lone worker risks both in the field and in a mill. 

Toxic gases and asphyxiation are prevalent threats in iron and steel manufacturing processes including exposure to carbon monoxide, ammonia, methane, benzene and nitrogen. The Basic Oxygen Steel process, blast furnaces, coke ovens, and sinter and iron production create potentially hazardous environments but the need for power generation and water treatment facilities to support production add risks of their own. Additionally, confined space entries for maintenance or repairs and shutdowns increase the risk for the safety and health of workers. You need to protect your team with a comprehensive connected gas detection program.

Chemists, factory line staff and distributors in this industry are often working in laboratories and manufacturing facilities that pose chemical dangers, store radioactive materials, or handle biological agents. PPE like lab coats, safety glasses, respirator hoods and other protective gear cannot always help your workers when an incident occurs. Beyond the chemical hazards, your lone workers work diligently, often beyond the sight and sound of others, in expansive labs and facilities

Commercial greenhouse control systems require cardon dioxide enrichment for increased growth which can lead to oxygen deprived environments. Hazardous gases on farms can be found in silos (NO2), manure storage (H2S and CH4), anaerobic digesters (CH4) and poorly ventilated barns (CO2 causing O2 displacement). There are a number of potentially deadly risks in the agriculture industry that require robust, connected gas detection safety devices to ensure the safety of workers.

Mining is one of the world’s most hazardous jobs, requiring innovative devices that monitor for dangers, seen and unseen, and call for help if conditions become hazardous. The flammability of methane, oxygen deprivation, confined space entries and gas leaks are all significant risks in an industry where any change in the atmosphere needs to be identified immediately. For this reason, safety needs to be at the core of a mining company’s operations.