Ensuring safety in construction

MANILA, Philippines - With the continued growth of the real estate sector, along with the Duterte administration’s thrust toward infrastructure development, demand for construction works is seen to further rise.

The construction industry boom is driving more employment by construction firms as these companies are tapped to build more real estate or infrastructure projects.

According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), demand for skilled construction workers is projected to steadily grow in the next five years.

And as employment in the industry continues to grow, so does the need to protect more construction workers from safety hazards present in a construction site. One of these hazards are those caused by gas, which global industrial safety company Honeywell is trying to avoid.

“Construction sites can have multiple gas hazards present,” Honeywell industrial safety vice president and general manager Ken Schmidt said in an email interview.

Among the gases found in a typical construction site are carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide, often emitted by vehicles and generators running in construction sites.

Schmidt emphasized these gases are more harmful when present in confined spaces, which are usually found in construction sites. He added that confined spaces should go under air tests particularly for oxygen levels, flammable and toxic gases before beginning construction.

“Confined spaces can fill up quickly with various gases so it is important for a worker to properly sample the air in a confined space before entering as well as continue to monitor the air as they work,” Schmidt said.

“A space may also be classified as a permit-required confined space if it has a hazardous atmosphere,  a potential for engulfment by gas or suffocation, a layout that might trap a worker through converging walls or a sloped floor, or any other serious safety or health hazard,” he added.

To be able to prevent gas hazards from occurring, construction companies equip their workers with gas detectors, which usually come in the form of wearable clip-on devices.

However, Honeywell noted the typical gas detectors provide construction workers limited protection, as it only monitor a single-type of gas. This is why the company has come up with a new device revolutionizing the industrial safety sector.

Unlike most gas monitors, the Honeywell BW Clip4 can detect four types of gas particularly hydrogen sulfide (H2S), CO, O2 and combustibles.

Apart from being able to track four types of gases, another major selling point of the device is its “always-on” feature, which can operate continuously for two years once activated.

Schmidt noted the device does not require charging or replacement of batteries.

“Traditional 4-gas detectors usually last 12-20 hours before the unit has to be turned off and recharged,” Schmidt said.

This is driven by the non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) technology the devices uses, unlike the catalytic bead (pellistor) sensor technology used by traditional multi-gas portable monitors. The NDIR technology allows the BW Clip4 to consume 1,000 times less battery power, according to Honeywell.

“The detector is ideal for any confined space application that requires a pre-entry check, and to monitor air continuously in that confined space to ensure air safety,” Schmidt expressed. “Apart from that, the detector will serve any industrial work environment where there is a need to detect the four standard gases: O2, CO, H2S and flammable gas at the lower explosive limit (LEL).”

Moreover, Schimdt added that this gives customers more value as it cuts on charging and battery accessory costs, as well all maintenance costs.

“The Honeywell unit, we feel, offers more value to our customers, as they can save by reducing charging time, serving many work shifts without interruption,” the company official said.

Among the other features of the BW Clip4 are the Simultaneous monitoring of lower explosive limits (LELs) — for H2S, CO, O2 and combustibles; Flashing red noncompliance indicator — to alert workers if unit has missed scheduled bump testing; Simple one-button operation; Compact profile for tight spaces; its durable, ergonomic, wearable design; and its compatibility with IntelliDox docking and instrument management system.

The gas detector also provides real-time display of instant gas readings even in non-alarm conditions of current gas concentration level and changes in atmospheric conditions.

The BW Clip4 is Honeywell’s latest innovation in the portable gas detector industry. The company first entered the industry with products such as the GasAlertClipExtreme, GasAlertMicroClip and the bestselling BW Clip.