New, superior fire detection solution with integrated CO gas sensor

Many fire detectors include optical and/or heat sensors but no gas monitoring sensors. Fire detectors which do have gas sensors integrated typically do not comprise specific carbon monoxide requirements for the EN54 norms (EN54-26; EN54-30; EN54-31). Future projects for fire alarm systems will include CO-detection to ensure safety in spaces where its presence is likely or suspected.

Dust, steam or other vapors might trigger frequent false alarms by some sensors – and every false alarm is a costly occurrence for any kind of business. Halts in production, evacuation of buildings and investigation of the source of the triggered alert are extremely expensive. Multi-sensor fire detectors can compensate for limitations of various single sensors (smoke, heat, CO) by combining the different measuring values and thus reducing false alarms.

The more complex the system, the more cumbersome and time-consuming the maintenance of all installed devices. The different components may require maintenance at different times, involving frequent journeys to the site. The safety manager must identify whom to contact for troubleshooting and maintenance support for a specific detector, fire panel, or gas sensor. The risk of interruptions to maintenance in such cases is high.

Underground parking areas for office blocks, shopping malls or conference centers provide spaces for the vehicles of residents, employees and visitors. At any time, one or more of these vehicles has its engine running on entry and exit or when the driver searches or waits for a parking space. Tailpipes from combustion engines can emit carbon monoxide which can accumulate to concentrated levels. This exacerbates the hazards of fire and combustion – which are already major hazards in these areas due to the presence of gasoline.

Healthcare facilities house complex electrical equipment, but also a range of chemical and biological substances for diagnostics, medical treatments and to maintain sanitary conditions. Patient wards, waiting rooms, catering areas and other facilities rely on vast boiler systems or generators to heat them or provide constant hot water. This poses a risk of CO leaking into the atmosphere, especially when a heating system is outdated or poorly maintained. If the carbon monoxide comes into contact with heat sources such as machinery, there are further dangers of explosion as CO is easily ignited.

Industrial scale burning of fuels on manufacturing plants and in particular iron or steel works release large quantities of CO into the atmosphere, but also into indoor work environments. Employees and valuable machinery may be close to incinerators, fermentation facilities, large-scale heating rooms – all posing risks of CO concentration. Add to this all the sources of heat, sparks from maintenance works or an uncontrolled release of chemicals and the risks of fire and explosion are extremely high. Such hazardous environments require an intelligent combination of thermal, optical and gas detection to cover every possible scenario for the protection of staff and material assets.

Carbon monoxide can develop as a byproduct of some chemical reactions. As laboratories in the pharmaceutical industry handle diverse chemical substances, safety managers for these building must therefore consider the possibility of CO concentrations. Reliable CO monitoring should be an essential part of their fire safety strategy. However, other chemicals add further dangers of combustion or ignition as well as those created by heat and power sources. An all-round protection system to address these combined risks is thus needed for the pharmaceutical industry.