WORK PERMIT SYSTEM

Gas Test

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 Gas Test

Gas testing is undertaken to determine the presence of

vapour or gas, and at what concentration it is present.
This is done to ensure that no hazardous work conditions
exist from the presence of such gases or vapours.

The principal areas of concern for human safety are:

►Determining explosive risks (flammability)
►Determining health risks (toxicity)
►Determining oxygen levels (deficiency or enrichment)

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 OBJECTIVES

• Learn the gas test technical terms

• Learn the gas tester responsibilities
• Learn the basic safety gas test procedures
• Learn the dangers of the flammable and toxic
gases
• Learn how to use the gas test devises.

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 Topics

• Gas Test principle

• Hazardous gases associated with gas testing
• Flammable ranges
• Low and high gas alarm indication and resultant action
• Lower and upper explosive limits
• Testing methods for oxygen deficient, flammable and
toxic atmospheres

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 HAZARDOUS GASES
Plant gases can be both toxic and explosive, are
invisible and often odorless.

Lighter or
Type of Hazard Explosive Odor Heavier than Action
Air
Oxygen deficiency No No N/A asphyxiant

Oxygen Enrichment Yes No N/A Oxidative stress

& cells damage
Hydrogen Sulphide Yes Yes, rotten egg smell at Heavier Nerve gas,
(H2S) low concentrations, No deadly poison
odor at high concentrations
(more than 150 PPM) the
gas affects the sense of
smell
Carbon Monoxide No No almost the same asphyxiant
(CO) as air deadly poison

Methane (CH4) Yes No lighter asphyxiant

Gasoline vapors Yes Yes Heavier Asphyxiant-
carcinogenic
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 OXYGEN DEFICIENCY

Oxygen deficiency is suspected when:

• Space has been closed up and sealed.

• Contained inerted atmosphere or has been purged.
• Contains any amount of water or organic material.
• Metal Oxidation - rusting.
• Combustion processes.
• Displacement by other gases.

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 HYDROGEN SULFIDE (H2S)

• Concentrations as low as 1 ppm have a characteristic

smell of rotten eggs.
• At higher concentrations (150-200 ppm) the odor of H2S
may not be detected since the gas affects the sense of
smell
• Concentrations of H2S in excess of 500 ppm will cause
unconsciousness in a few seconds

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 CARBON MONOXIDE

• A colorless, odorless and deadly gas.

• It is the product of incomplete combustion,
• The most common source is the exhaust of gasoline or
diesel engines.
• Exposure to concentrations exceeding 50 ppm may
result in a worker experiencing ringing in the ears,
nausea, headaches and sleepiness

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 METHANE (NATURAL GAS, CH4)

• Explosion is the main danger associated with methane

due to its flammable nature.
• It may be released from a leak in a gas line or any
storage facility.

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 GASOLINE VAPORS

• Gasoline vapors, even in small amounts, can cause a

fire and explosion hazard.
• The most common physical effects due to excessive
exposure are symptoms of intoxication, headaches,
blurred vision, dizziness and nausea.

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 Specified Gas Limit
All Work Permit Users shall follow the limits specified in the below table:
Items Gas Tester’s Results Action/Requirements
Combustible 0% LEL OK to work all type of job
Gases/Vapors
Above 0% to 5% LEL Cold work & Confined Space Entry OK.
(No hot work permitted)
5% to 20 LEL Cold Work & Confined Space Entry with Breathing
apparatus (SCBA) and section heads must counter sign on
WORK permit.
20% LEL or above Entry to effected area is not permitted
No Work

H2S 0 PPM OK to work all type of job

Above 0 PPM to 10 PPM Cold work & Confined Space Entry OK.
(No hot work permitted)
10 to 100 PPM Cold Work permit only with Breathing apparatus (SCBA)
and section heads must counter sign on WORK permit.
100 PPM and above Entry to effected area is not permitted
No Work

O2 Below 20 % Breathing apparatus must be used and section heads must

counter sign on WORK permit.
20 to 23.5% OK to work
Above 23.5% Entry to effected area is not permitted
No Work

CO 0 to 25 PPM Ok to work

25 to 200 PPM Breathing apparatus must be used and section heads must
counter sign on WORK permit. 11
200 PPM and Above Entry to effected area is not permitted
No Work
 FLAMMABLE/EXPLOSIVE GAS &
VAPOR

Lower Explosive Limit (LEL)

lower explosive limit (LEL), is the lowest concentration of air-fuel

mixture at which a gas or vapor can ignite. Which means the
minimum concentration of combustible gas in air that will ignite.

Upper Explosive Limit (UEL)

upper explosive limit (UEL), is the highest concentration of air-fuel

mixture that can be ignited.

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 FLAMMABLE ATMOSPHERES

AIR

COMBUSTIBLE

TOO LEAN TO BURN EXPLOSIVE TOO RICH TO BURN

RANGE
LEL UEL

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 FLAMMABLE HAZARDS

Eliminating Flammable
Three Elements of Fire Hazards

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 CONDUCTING GAS TESTS
 Only Qualified Gas Testers are authorized to conduct
gas tests on PR facilities
 Test the work area atmosphere for the identified
hazards.
 Testing should start in a known safe area and move into
the work area to be tested.
 Tests should be done in the following order:
● Oxygen
● Flammable gases
● Toxic gases or vapours

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 CONDUCTING GAS TESTS (Cont.)
 Test in area where the gases/vapours are likely to
accumulate.
 Any tests which indicate readings outside the acceptable
range should result in the area being cleared of all
personnel and the area ventilated until a safe
environment is obtained.
 Appropriate PPE must be worn when testing (e.g. SCBA
when conducting a lead test inside a bulk tank or effected area).
 Any alarm activation on the test instrument should result
in an immediate evacuation of all personnel out of the
area until the reason for the alarm is determined and
corrective measures taken.
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 TYPICAL SCENARIOS FOR GAS
TESTING
The following are some typical examples where gas testing would be
required:

● Before performing Hot Work or entering a Confined Space and

some cold permits.
● When responding to a spill of hazardous materials.
● Entering an oily water separator to operate, clean or carry out
repairs.
● Entering inside a bulk storage tank, or any other confined
space.
● Carrying out welding (or other hot work) inside a tank
compound.

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 DETECTION REQUIREMENTS

In order for a gas detection instrument to work correctly :

 The gas being detected must be in a vapour or

gaseous state.

 The sensor must be drawing a sample from where the

gas/vapour will accumulate. (i.e. is the gas/vapour lighter
or heavier than air).

 Be aware of CHANGING CONDITIONS.

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 TYPES OF GAS TESTING TOOLS

In PR we have the below gas testing devices:

LTX-310 ( 3 in 1)
TMX-412 (4 in 1)
Dragger gas tester

LTX-310 ( 3 in 1):

LTX- 310 is used to determine (1) levels of oxygen, (2)

combustible gases (LEL: Lower Explosion Limit of gases in
air), and (3) toxic gases (e.g., hydrogen sulfide)

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 TYPES OF GAS TESTING TOOLS

TMX-412 (4 in 1):

TMX-412 or iTX is used to determine (1) levels of oxygen,

(2) LEL, (3) H2S and (4) CO. Toxic sensor can be changed
in above gas monitors depending on the requirement.

Dragger gas tester:

The third tool is the Dragger gas tester which by using

different detector tubes, we can test for other toxic or
combustible gases

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GAS TESTING – PERSONAL
MULTI GAS MONITOR

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 LTX-310 FEATURES

 Continuous monitoring of up to 3 gases.

 Small and lightweight.
 Protected against RFI (radio frequency interference).
 Intrinsically safe - approved for use in all Petro Rabigh
facilities.
 Audible and visual alarms.
 Rechargeable Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cad) battery is standard
and replaceable Lithium cell battery packs is optional.
 Easy to operate.
 Use with battery powered sample pumps for confined space
entry.
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LTX-310 Standard Kit

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SP-402 SAMPLING PUMP

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 OPERATION OF THE LTX-310
Using of the Gas Monitor Keys

The LTX-310 has three types of keys:

 ON/OFF
 CLEAR
 MODE

ON/OFF:
Press and hold the ON/OFF key for five (5) seconds to turn
the monitor on or off.

CLEAR:
The CLEAR key starts the zeroing the monitor and clears the previous
peak values. When you press the clear key, the backlighting stays on
for 15 sec. The backlighting comes on automatically during alarms
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 OPERATION OF THE LTX-310 CONT.

MODE:

The MODE key moves the screen to the next function.

Guideline to use LTX-310:

1. Switch On/ Off the Gas Monitor:

Before using the LTX-310, make sure it has fully charged batteries.
To switch on the instrument, follow these steps:

1) Press and hold the ON/OFF key for five (5) sec in a gas-free area.
2) The RELEASE screen appears on the display.
3) Release the ON/OFF key. The RELEASE screen shows that the on or off selection
is complete.

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 OPERATION OF THE LTX-310 CONT.
2. Read Gas Monitor Displays:

Once you turn the LTX-310 on, several displays will appear. The displays tell
you the condition of the monitor. Here are the displays and what they mean:

Start-up display:

The start-up display shows all the segments and decimal points. This ensures
that the Liquid Crystal display (LCD) is working

Battery test display:

The battery test display shows the condition of the batteries:

BATTERY NORMAL: For Ni-Cad batteries NORMAL is 8 - 10 hr running time.
For Lithium batteries NORMAL is 12 - 16 hr running time.

Note: Lithium batteries are not rechargeable.

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 OPERATION OF THE LTX-310 CONT.
BATTERY LOW: Battery is not fully charged. LOW is less than 6 hr running time.
Always check the battery indicator shown on the screen after complete
start- up.

Sensor display:

The sensor configuration displays shows the installed sensors. Be sure that
the screen displays all the required sensors “O2, LEL and H2S”.
If the sensor not displayed, send the unit to the shop for repair or replacement.

Reading display:

The reading display shows H2S, combustible gases, and oxygen levels
detected by the monitor. The display also shows the battery status

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 OPERATION OF THE LTX-310 CONT.

Each segment on the battery indicator equals 1 hr of running time for Ni-Cad
battery and about 1.5 hrs of running time for Lithium battery. There are eight
(8) segments.

Read alarm indications:

Before sampling atmosphere for gas composition, you must know the
following alarm indications on the LTX-310:

• High or low alarm.

• Over-range indication.
• Low battery.
• Battery failure.
• Fault indication.

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 OPERATION OF THE LTX-310 CONT.

 High or low alarm:

The monitor alarms when it reaches the following high or low levels

Oxygen 23.5%
High alarms Flammable 5% LEL
H2S 10 PPM
Low alarms Oxygen 20.0%

 Over range:
“+OR” displayed, either high or low alarm sounds. Leave the area
immediately!

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 OPERATION OF THE LTX-310 CONT.

 Low battery:
In low battery, if the battery has 30 to 90 min remaining double beep will sound every
15 sec.

 Battery failure:

Single beep every sec. Recharge or replace battery.

 Fault indication
Single beep each sec. Display area of the fault is blank.

Note: The LTX-310 will sound a confidence beep every 15 sec during normal
operation. Don’t confuse this with the Low Battery Warning, which is a
double-beep every 15 sec.

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 OPERATION OF THE LTX-310 CONT.

Testing the Monitor LTX-310

 Make sure that the test gas cylinder has not expired by
Checking the expiration date.
 Insert the injector tube into the inlet of the test cup.
 Press the trigger for 1 sec. This injects a gas sample
into the test cup.
 Check the Gas Readings on the Display
 Make sure the sensors are working. You should get
alarm sounds and these readings:
 30 % LEL.
 20 ppm H2S.
 18 % O2

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OPERATION OF THE LTX-310 CONT.
 Verify that the audio and visual alarms operate when the
readings are above the preset alarm levels.
 Remove the test cup and verify that gas readings return
to:
 0 ppm H2S
 0 % LEL
 21 % O2.

Record the results on the daily inspection and function test log.

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 GAS MONITOR
Generally the 3-in-1 or 4-in-1 gas monitor measures the amount of
following gases:

 Hydrogen sulfide (H2S):

( 0 - 999 ppm in 1 ppm increments)
 Combustible gases:
(0 - 100% LEL in 1% increments)
 Oxygen (O2):
(0 - 30% by volume in 0.1% increments)
 Carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2) and nitric oxide (NO):
( 0 - 999 ppm in 1 ppm increments)
 Methane (CH4):
(0 - 5% in 0.1% increments)
 Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2):
(0.2 - 99.9 ppm in 0.1 ppm increments)
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 GAS MONITOR

 Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and hydrogen chloride (HCl):

(0.2 - 30 ppm in 0.1 ppm increments)

 Chlorine (Cl2):
(0.2 - 50 ppm in 0.1 ppm increments)
 Ammonia (NH3):
(0 - 200 ppm in 1 ppm increments)
 Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) and Phosphine (PH3):
(0 - 1 ppm in 0.01 ppm increments)

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 GENERAL SAFETY

Typical warnings that may apply include:

● Oxygen deficient or oxygen enriched environments may cause erroneous
LEL readings.
● Ensure sufficient battery charge before use.
● Only recharge or change batteries in a non-hazardous area.
● Do not draw liquid into the sampling line.
● Only zero the instrument in clean air.
● Sampling environments with more than 100% LEL may provide erroneous
LEL readings.
● Do not remove instrument from it’s case when in a hazardous
environment.

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 SUMMERY

• Gas test is required for all Hot Work Permit and

Entry Permits & some Cold Work Permits

• Areas having a potential for Oxygen enriched or

Oxygen deficient atmospheres should be always
controlled by gas testing
• Certified Gas tester only shall carry out the test
• Gas tester certificate will be issue by ERT department.
• The Certificates expire two years after the date of
issue.

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 SUMMERY
• Only PRC approved Gas testing equipment must be used
for Gas test such as LTX- 310, TMX-412 Models

• Always use a calibrated Gas Monitor

• Perform function test daily to check for sensor poisoning

• Send for service if function test fails

Or before PM expiry date ( 3 months)
PPM PPM

BATT
OXYGEN LEL/CH4
EE
INDUSTRIAL
SCIENTIFIC TMX412

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THANK YOU

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