Code No: 650
Video Running Time: 26 minutes
This package is aimed at ships' officers and similar
shore-based personnel whose duties include the use of portable gas
detectors.
It explains that portable gas detectors are a vital part of
safety procedures. They must be used, and used properly, when
it's appropriate. It's to the individual's personal
benefit and the benefit of the people they work with or
control.
Many people forget that some spaces on ships and in terminals -
cargo or gas tanks, for instance - are, under normal circumstances,
totally unable to support life for one reason or another. That, not
unnaturally, makes them very dangerous environments.
There are any number of ways in which a space can become
hazardous. The package covers many of the most common and shows how
portable gas detectors can help.
Set on board various types of ship, including tankers and cargo
ships and ashore in terminal, the package shows a wide range of
equipment, including modern devices and older designs which are
still widely used.
The package covers the three main areas in which portable gas
detectors are used: detecting flammable gases, toxic gases, and
checking for oxygen - usually to ensure that the air is safe to
breathe. Each of these is covered in a separate section. Typical
situations are featured in each.
The package explains why gas detectors are used in each of these
three areas.
It also highlights the need to make sure that each person
watching and the people with whom they work are safe, by suggesting
that they:
- use portable gas detectors whenever needed, and not just
because it's compulsory
- be thorough, and resist pressure from others to skimp on
procedure
- use the equipment appropriate to the risk; often, equipment is
designed for use only in certain types of situation
- make sure the equipment is in good working order, and keep it
that way by taking proper care of it, avoiding damage from salt
water, impact, swamping, and so on
- keep any equipment well maintained, serviced and calibrated,
including observing company policy, about replacement of parts like
batteries and tubes, for instance
- make sure they know how to operate it properly
- use it properly, including getting a good quality sample -
without which the result will be worthless
- read the manual, and, if unsure, check with their senior
officer or supervisor, or a safety officer.
