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Deciding which type of gas monitor is right for you is simple if you know what you need the monitor to do. The difference between the two main styles of monitors comes down to the way they sample the air. At PK Safety, we carry both types. Single gas monitors like the MSA ALTAIR Single-Gas H2S Detector are something you strap to your belt or the front of your shirt and wear with you in areas that may have pockets of hydrogen sulfide. It warns you with beeps, flashing lights, and buzzing if …

Falls in confined spaces are often painful. Sometimes they require rescue from other team members. In these cases it's important that the fallen worker isn't simply hanging by their harness for the entire time it takes the rescue team to get them out of there. A typical harness, even though they meet OSHA and ANSI standards for fall protection, will really squeeze the legs when a worker is suspended, and this can lead to a serious problem called suspension trauma (otherwise known as Ort …

Paddle-gate! The great ping pong doping scandal of the 2012 Olympics. How did we miss this when it happened? The one opportunity for levity in our confined space world? How often does Olympic Ping Pong collide with sophisticated RAE Systems gas detection devices? Not often enough, in our view. Since the 1970s serious ping pong players have apparently been souping up their paddles to increase performance. Early spin doctors found they could gain more control and even add speed by smearin …

Just because you aren't entering a drainage system, silo, septic tank, or some other confined space every day, or even every week, doesn't mean you can avoid getting the equipment necessary to make you OSHA compliant. But it does mean that you will be perfectly satisfied with a basic confined space entry system. For folks working in city waste water treatment facilities or manufacturing which requires regular maintenance and inspection of confined spaces, it makes sense to have the m …

Have you ever been looking for your glasses and then realized they were on top of your head? The great thing about the Petzl VIZIR face shield is that is the first place you are going to look for them. The cleverly named VIZIR visor mounts to the top of a VERTEX VENT or ALVEO helmet creating convertible eye protection. Down when you need it, up when you don't. But your eye protection is always available as long as your helmet is on your head. The VIZIR has several advantages over reg …

Gas produced and put into bottles for bump testing and calibrating gas monitors has a finite shelf life, and paying attention to that expiration date might save your life. Using expired gas can lead to incorrect calibration of your gas monitor. Gas concentrations have been known to drop over time. Reactive gases such as hydrogen sulfide react with the material of the cylinder container, and tests have shown some levels to slip from 20 parts per million (ppm) to 6 ppm over a 12-month peri …

If a workspace contains hazardous permit-required spaces, OSHA mandates the employer must inform exposed employees of their existence, location, and the hazards they pose. This can be done by posting unambiguous warning signs such as "DANGER-CONFINED SPACE- AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY." And while signs like that are pretty clear, there will still be folks who assume it doesn't apply to them. So OSHA also requires physical barriers such as locks, chains, and other impediments to entr …

Looking for a great confined space fan that won't break the bank? The Ecko K30 ventilation fan is the newest ventilator from the experts at Euramco. This 12 in. blower/exhauster and has a .62 horsepower motor and is part of Euramco's economy line of blower. The features of this fan are similar to much more expensive models. The K30 is capable of moving over 2400 cubic feet of air per minute. That's a whole lot of air. It has a precision-balanced 11-blade, polypropylene impeller. The …

SCBA, or self-contained breathing apparatus, is critical for areas where the atmosphere just isn't fit to breath. Confined space workers and firefighters both utilize this equipment. But what happens when that equipment fails? If you are like a DeKalb Georgia firefighter in the news lately, you jump out of a second-story window. Firefighters say the problem with the Draeger equipment has been ongoing and the most recent malfunction is part of an ongoing problem. Draeger, on the other hand, …

We wanted to take a few minutes to talk about our Confined Space Entry Contractor’s Kit. This is perfect for folks doing occasional confined space work who don’t want to make a big investment in equipment. The Kit meets all relevant OSHA standards but won’t break the bank. It comes with a BW MAX XT II 4-Gas Monitor. It’s one of our best sellers for confined space entry. The MAX XT has an internal pump and a hose attachment that allows you to pull air samples from the space you’re abou …