Thursday, June 4, 2009

Gas Panels Improve Worker Safety

By Mark Dennehy

Gas cabinets house and dispense dangerous gaseous production materials, adding safety to the workplace environment. Depending on the specific types of gases being used, a gas cabinet will typically contain a sprinkler head, a gas sensor, excess pressure sensing, excess flow sensor, as well as automatic operation with automatic purging.

The design and specifications of gas cabinets are determined by a number of different governing agencies, including the Uniform Fire Code, the Compressed Gas Association, the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Institute, and the National Fire Protection Association.

The choice for the right type of gas cabinet depends on the specific needs of your industry. For inert, non-toxic and non-reactive gases, a manual gas cabinet will do. For less reactive or toxic gases, a semi-automatic gas cabinet works best. A fully automatic gas cabinet should be used for toxic, reactive and corrosive gases. An auto-changeover gas cabinet is useful to provide an uninterrupted flow of gas.

Because a properly functioning gas cabinet is so crucial to the safety of the workplace, cheaper brands should be avoided. Always go with brand names that have proven themselves in the marketplace. Air Products and Praxair, for example, are both well respected in the industry for their gas handling products, especially gas panels.

Standard gas panels should be fabricated from 316L stainless steel for maximum safety, ideally fabricated with non-electro-polished internal finishes. A good gas panel will feature a modular layout design, orbitally welded construction, pigtail and cylinder fittings, as well as stainless steel rear panels with front mounted component standoffs.

Small businesses can economically benefit from the bulk purchasing powers available through a larger distributor of gas products. When you work with a larger, extended company that purchases gas surplus equipment around the word, you enjoy the utmost savings available through their bulk purchasing power that would otherwise never be available to a small company. It's an ideal way of cutting costs and getting the best price possible. Really, it's what makes it possible for smaller companies to compete against the big guys in the first place.

When purchasing surplus equipment, always be sure that it has been decontaminated properly. All systems should be professionally decontaminated, decommissioned, purged and pressurized prior to removal. Always store the equipment in a controlled environment.

Any gas cabinet you purchase should be constructed of the proper materials to safely handle the gas you are storing. 11-gauge steel is usually best as it provides sturdiness on top of a half-hour or more of fire protection. For poisonous gases, it's always best to include an access window that allows the cylinder valves to be closed without having to open the door of the cabinet. - 20767

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