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Plumbers, electricians, carpenters, HVAC techs and many other tradesmen find themselves crawling around attics and crawlspaces on a regular basis. Now they are going to need to bring one more piece of equipment with them - a personal 4-gas monitor. OSHA has recently clarified their standard concerning these very routine work areas and they are officially now classified as confined spaces. Confined spaces are inherently dangerous, and OSHA's not unreasonable response is to require add …

For an oxygen-rich atmosphere, it's important to always make sure that gases expelled from the confined space through ventilation do not come into contact with internal combustion engines, flames or other sources of ignition that may cause an explosion or accelerate burning. While this might seem obvious, it is sometimes overlooked in the rush to clear a confined space and make it safe for entry. When sizing up a potential confined space for entry, also be aware of where you are p …

The BW GasAlert Max XT II is a humdinger of a detector, both for its ease of usage and reasonable price. In my opinion, this is the best gas detector to buy if you’re entering a confined space or septic tank. This one button unit makes it perfect for both the glove crowd and the technologically challenged. Plus, its simple operation makes tampering with its functions nearly impossible (a helpful feature if you want to ensure that you crew doesn’t decide to change any o the setting without …

What Kind of Confined Space Gas Detector Do I Need? Before entering a confined space, workers need to check the environment to make sure it is safe. Confined spaces often harbor toxic or explosive gasses. They may also be lacking in oxygen.  Gas detectors serve as a first line of defense in determining the safety of an environment. The most important feature to look for in a confined space gas detector is 4 gas detection. This means it can detect and measure CO2, O2, H2S and combusti …

A customer from the Chinese division of a large petroleum company emailed us this week to ask how often their BW Clip H2S Monitors should be bump tested. Since we sell more of these monitors than any other at PK Safety Supply, it would seem logical that we'd have a ready answer. But we don't. It's not because we don't care, or we don't think it's important. It is. Here's the situation: Officially, the manufacturer BW Honeywell recommends periodically testing the response of the hydro …

Every civilization has had to find a way to organize their waste materials. The most common method has historically been burial of the waste. According to Wikipedia (completely reliable, as we all know) the Mayans had dumps that exploded occasionally and burned. Landfills, depending upon the items being buried, still have the same dangers today and must be monitored closely to maintain safety for those in contact with the site. A sometimes significant amount of hazardous gas can be crea …