Alarm software improves gas detection

Challenge

This customer operates in many varied and often challenging geographical environments. At one specific branch of the company, a crew runs reservoir stimulation operations that require monitoring of potentially harmful gases such as oxygen, hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide.

As part of their safety program, the crew had been using portable gas detectors that required manual maintenance and servicing, leading to high costs and inefficiencies. In addition, the branch’s gas monitoring program lacked any way of gaining insight into what was happening in the field and how the instruments were being used. The branch’s HSE Advisor began searching for a solution that provided overall visibility into their gas detection program and most importantly, kept workers safer.

Solution

In 2011, the branch implemented iNet®, Industrial Scientific’s Gas Detection as a Service solution. As part of the solution, the crew received 16 Ventis™ MX4 multi-gas detectors and four iNet DS Docking Stations. iNet is a software-based service that increases safety by providing visibility into alarms, exposure and usage. Users of iNet do not have to buy gas detectors, they instead subscribe to Gas Detection as a Service for a monthly fee. 

Using iNet Control, a Web-based application accessible from any PC Web browser, they are able to manage and view the performance of their gas detector fleet. iNet Control eliminates the branch’s challenges with instrument maintenance by automating events such as calibrations, bump tests and instrument firmware upgrades. If iNet detects a monitor in need of servicing, the dedicated iNet support team sends out a fully functional monitor, replacing the instrument to be serviced by Industrial Scientific.

Lastly, the mobile functionality of the iNet DS docking station, a plug-and-play solution, provides added convenience and safety as they are installed directly in the crews’ satellite enabled vehicles.

I got an alert about the sensor and the next day I had a new monitor sitting on my desk

Results

The crew credits iNet with strengthening their gas detection program. Recently, when a sensor failed in one of the monitors during a bump test, iNet detected the faulty sensor and quickly delivered a new instrument to the site.

“I got an alert about the sensor and the next day I had a new monitor sitting on my desk,” said the branch’s HSE Advisor.

“With iNet, we can change out the instrument before we’re at risk of having a safety situation.”

The new insight gained into their gas detection program using trends, metrics, alerts and custom reports has proven invaluable to operations. The automated recordkeeping capability of iNet has particularly benefited the HSE Advisor, saving him the time that he had previously dedicated to manual data entry and record maintenance.

“I’m really impressed with the fact that we no longer have to do manual recordkeeping,” he added. “If we ever had an incident, the first thing OH&S would want to see is the records, and that’s all handled automatically through iNet.”

With the success of iNet at this branch, the company plans to implement the solution at additional locations throughout the country, further increasing the safety of its employees.