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What Is LEL and Confined Space?
A Confined Space is an enclosed area such as a storage tank, fuel vessel or other containment enclosure, where monitoring and detecting LEL as well as other hazardous materials is regulated by Federal Law. An LEL Confined Space will be a containment vessel that contains combustible gas or solvent, which when emptied poses an explosive and toxic gas risk to the personnel that have to enter the Confined Space for maintenance or other purposes that may be related to the process with which the materials in the Confined Space is used.
An LEL Confined Space refers to Lower Explosive Limit within the confined space, which will be a percentage of combustible material in a gas or vapor state, that if mixed in the right proportion with air can create a hazardous fuel/air mixture that can be ignited and explode. Since personnel entering the Confined Space for maintenance may be performing actions such as welding, or other maintenance where ignition sources could be present, it is critical that the LEL level be monitored and that if any LEL level exists within the Confined Space, that alarms immediately occur to warn the personnel to take immediate safety action.
Typically, an LEL Confined Space will be well ventilated and even purged with an inert gas such as nitrogen so that if a hazardous combustible gas or solvent vapor is in the confined space, these additional safety measures will protect personnel and keep confined space LEL levels from being present.
An LEL Confined Space will also require not only monitoring and the detection and alarm of combustible materials inside the confined space, but that an attendant be outside the confined space to monitor the conditions inside. Should a person inside the confined space be in danger, or overcome by vapors or gases, proactive safety measures will be taken immediately upon an alarm condition.
Fixed Gas Detection Systems are available to monitor inside an LEL Confined Space on a continuous basis. There are also sample draw gas detection systems that can sample the atmosphere inside an LEL Confined Space, and indicate on an instrument outside of the confined space the hazardous levels of combustible and toxic gas or vapor, or the deficiency of oxygen if inert gas is pumped into the LEL Confined Space.
Get in Touch with GDS Corp. Today
Contact GDS Corp., a U.S. manufacturer of Industrial Gas Detection Equipment using sensor technologies such as Catalytic Bead sensors, electrochemical sensors, photoionization sensors and infrared sensors located in Houston, Texas. Our many years of experience with Industrial Gas Detection, and Fixed Gas Detection solutions using these various sensor technologies can assist with decisions for the system required to protect employees entering an LEL Confined Space.
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