Levitt-Safety
Home
Home
Levitt-Safety Blog

When to use the 4 new sensors for Radius BZ1 area gas monitor

Working checking Industrial Scientific Radius Gas Monitor
Gary RaeMarket Segment Manager - Confined SpaceJune 22, 2022

Area gas monitors, like the Radius BZ1, are a great tool to let you see if gas hazards on a site could threaten workers. Area monitors enable you to create a safe buffer zone between workers and potential gas hazards.

Area monitors are used in everyday applications like perimeter or fence line monitoring and high-risk work environments like plant shutdowns and confined space entry.

The Radius BZ1 from Industrial Scientific has grown in popularity over the past few years because it's rugged, portable and simultaneously measures seven gases.

A well-rounded gas detection program will incorporate area gas monitors and personal gas monitors.



Industrial Scientific recently announced four new sensors for the Radius BZ1:

  1. Hydrogen Chloride (HCl)
  2. Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2)
  3. Hydrocarbon (propane) infrared sensor
  4. Methane (CH4) infrared sensor

Detect hazardous gases in more applications and industries

With these new sensors, companies can use the Radius BZ1 to detect hazardous gases in even more applications and industries, including:

  • fence line/perimeter monitoring
  • hot work
  • confined space entry
  • emergency response
  • paper and pulp
  • water
  • wastewater, and
  • food production.

When placed throughout a facility, the Radius BZ1 will detect up to seven gases and give workers insight into their surroundings by locally sharing alarms and gas readings between area monitors and Ventis® Pro5 personal gas monitors.


Hydrogen Chloride (HCl) area monitor sensor

The applications are nearly limitless when using the Radius BZ1 to detect hydrogen chloride gas exposures within an area.

Applications:

Use it in applications including perimeter monitoring, general safety, emergency response, hot work, confined space entry, and fixed gas replacements/extensions across multiple industries.


Area monitors with HCl sensors are beneficial in industries like:

  • chemical with gas wells and HCl production
  • food and beverage processing for dairy items, baked goods, corn syrup and some sauces
  • hazmat transportation and storage
  • manufacturing of vinyl and cotton products, semiconductors, steel and disinfectants
  • PH regulation in pharmaceutical manufacturing processes.
Shop the HCl sensor

Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2) area monitor sensor

Fewer industries use ClO2 gas detection than HCl, but it's common in industries like pulp and paper and water and wastewater in these applications:

  • perimeter monitoring
  • general safety
  • emergency response
  • hot work
  • confined space entry, and
  • fixed gas replacements/extensions.

With the Radius BZ1 area monitor, safety personnel can continuously monitor multiple areas for gas leaks and immediately alert teams of hazards from a safe distance.


Pulp and paper

Area gas monitors are a flexible solution used in temporary or long-term configurations to monitor specific hazards across chlorine production, storage and bleaching.

Water and wastewater

Water and wastewater applications use ClO2 for many antimicrobial uses, including disinfecting drinking water.

As a result, ClO2 gas is widespread and has a high risk of exposure. ClO2 is produced on-site from sodium chlorate or sodium chlorite.

Shop the ClO2 sensor


Hydrocarbon Infrared (HC IR) or Methane Infrared (CH4 IR) Sensors

Businesses should use IR sensors when there is a concern about sensor poisons and low oxygen environments where catalytic bead sensors cannot operate effectively.

These same poisons don't impact IR sensors. IR sensors also don't require a certain level of O2 in the atmosphere to detect LEL gas levels accurately.

Determining which IR sensor to use

When determining which IR sensor to use, you need to know whether or not your facility is trying to detect the combustible gas methane.

In most cases, the CH4 IR sensor is best used only for natural gas or methane detection, although it may encounter other known combustible gases in the atmosphere.

Shop the CH4 IR sensor

How to make sure you're using the suitable Radius BZ1 sensor

Since hazards vary depending on application and industry, safety managers must ensure gas monitors use a suitable sensor for each job to keep staff safe.

The Radius BZ1 area monitor supports 22 sensor options, including:

Ammonia (NH3), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon monoxide (CO/H2 low), carbon monoxide/hydrogen sulphide (COSH), chlorine (Cl2), hydrogen (H2), hydrogen sulphide (H2S), hydrogen cyanide (HCN), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), oxygen (O2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), phosphine (PH3), nitric oxide (NO), photoionization detectors (PID), chlorine dioxide (ClO2), hydrogen chloride (HCl), hydrocarbon IR (Propane), methane IR (CH4)

Talk to an expert today to ensure your team is using the suitable sensor for the job.