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Turnaround season is never far off. Do you know what safety tools you need to protect additional workers on your site? Turnarounds often require an increased number of workers who use gas detection equipment to avoid hazards like oxygen deficiency, combustible gases (typically displayed as LEL), carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, and VOCs. To meet this need, you must decide how you’ll increase the size of your gas detection fleet and whether it’s best to rent or buy portable gas detection equipment. Here’s how to decide what’s best for you:
Rent Gas Detectors
Renting gas detection equipment is a great option for short-term needs like turnarounds, shutdowns, outages, emergencies, special projects, etc. You can quickly receive the gas monitors you need and return them when the project is done, reducing your overall costs. However, not all gas detector rental programs offer the same benefits. Be sure to scope out the project and ask the right questions:
- When does the rental period start, and when does it end? Some rental companies start the clock the day the equipment leaves their facility, while others start it the day you receive it.
- What is included with the gas detectors? Gas detectors often need chargers, docking stations, and calibration gas. For example, if you're renting a monitor with a rechargeable battery, ask if the charger will be included.
- What gas detector accessories would be ideal for my application? Ask the rental company about accessories, like pumps or tubing, that might make the job easier.
- Do I need to pay for sensors that fail while in use? Some rental companies make up the internal expense of maintaining their rental fleet by charging you for sensors that fail while in your possession, even if the sensors fail due to normal use.
- Are the monitors pre-calibrated? Ask to have calibration certificates provided with each rental unit.
Buy Disposable Gas Detectors
There are some attractive, low-cost disposable gas detectors available on the market. Before purchasing disposable units, consider the tax factors and disposal costs. Purchasing gas detection equipment is considered a capital expense and must be treated as such at tax time. You cannot deduct the entire expense of that purchase the year of the purchase. Instead, the capital costs are amortized or depreciated over the useful life of the piece of equipment. When it comes to disposal, the typical cost is upwards of $75 for each single-gas monitor. Batteries, boards, and sensors must all be disposed of separately. This involves labor related to disassembly, collection and paperwork, as well as packaging costs and disposal fees.
Buy Certified Pre-Owned Gas Detectors
Purchasing certified pre-owned gas detectors can allow you to get the gas detectors you need for a turnaround at a lower cost than new. If you’re considering certified pre-owned gas detectors, ask your supplier what inspections and services are performed on the equipment you will receive. A good program will put all equipment through a rigorous multi-point inspection, including intrinsic safety approvals, and will only certify devices once they pass a factory inspection checklist that ensures all components perform as originally designed.
Buy New Gas Detectors to Expand your Fleet
Another option is to purchase gas detectors to permanently expand your fleet. In this case, you assume responsibility for maintaining the instruments.
Here are a few things to consider before purchasing extra gas detectors:
- Labor Costs – Gas detectors require basic maintenance like daily bump tests, monthly calibrations, and periodic sensor replacement. These tasks can all take time away from workers when you’re already on a tight schedule.
- Purchasing Parts – With a purchase, you’ll likely need to keep extra parts on hand for unexpected repairs.
Lease Gas Detectors
Another option is to lease gas detectors for year-round use and temporarily add more to your fleet at a discount during turnarounds. Leasing gas detectors through an exchange program allows you to rely on a third party for setup, training, maintenance on those instruments. While these programs appear to come at a higher cost, you could save money in the long run by helping you avoid the cost of maintenance, extra parts, and downtime while workers handle repairs.
Learn more about Industrial Scientific solutions for turnarounds and shutdowns.
