How to Be Safe with Wireless Fire and Gas Detection

A Talk with Adne Baer-Olsen of Gassecure, a Draeger AG Company

In this discussion we examine the needs and requirements of wireless fire and gas detection in a variety of domains. We discuss industry challenges and how to surmount them. Lastly, we take a look into the future in order to see where the technology - and the market is heading.

Our guest: Adne Baer-Olsen is responsible for leading the wireless solution center of excellence at Gassecure.  He supports global initiatives for wireless safety projects and applications and  works closely with end users and Team Draeger to develop new solutions in cooperation with the R&D team. He invites users to GasSecure's extensive test center where you can do comprehensive cross technology testing - feel free to contact him for proof of concept work shops also!

Listen to the entire conversation here: 

Here’s a small portion of our conversation:

Jim Frazer:  For our listeners, can you describe the landscape of you know, what is fire and gas detection and what's special about wireless fire and gas detection.

Adne Baer, Olsen Gassecure:  So basically, anytime we want to recover energy, there's always risk associated with it. And you've designed your plan to avoid having explosive buildups you don't want to get the hazardous gases into safe areas, you have employee safety systems to shut down the plant safely to avoid ignition of potential hazards. And then the eyes and ears of the safety system is the fire and gas detectors that pick up the hazards and tell the system people where to go. Basically, when you design systems for a refinery or a tank farm, they design that it then. So of course acceptance of risk changes over time and governance from the companies. For the countries there's always changing regulations. If you're digging in a refinery, at least in Norway, and many places even the dirt is considered to be hazardous wastes…

Jim Frazer:  So oil and gas refineries are a large market for you. But what other applications are there out there?

Adne Baer, Olsen Gassecure:  In Italy, now we're doing cleanrooms, because they don't want to punch the walls with cables. So if we can go in and, and monitor these safe rooms with wireless gas detection, that gives them full flexibility of changing where they need to have the gas, but also the keeps the clean rooms sealed still, because the signals goes in and out without a problem.  There's also a lot of chemical plants. In Israel, they impose that everyone who has potential of, of some hazardous gases going from their area into other building areas, they will need to have the sprinklers for quality of gas detection on defenses to be able to alert neighboring sites. Wastewater treatment, we can do very fine measurements on if they're getting any of the gases going out.

Jim Frazer:   You had mentioned and referred to an ISO standard.

Adne Baer, Olsen Gassecure:  So basically, what we're seeing is where we are using ISO 100, which is an IEC standard for the communication. But what we're seeing is most of my work is to explain how we communicate and how robust the communication is. But now we're seeing these cybersecurity questions coming up because people are getting hacked. So basically, our communication is secure because it's designed by ISO, very stringently, so we can handle cyber attacks and stuff, but you still need to make a value chain. So normally, when I talk to the customer,  it's all about certification on the safety level for the device and the communication and the final elements, and everything needs to be certified by IEC 61 508. So if one single part is not certified, the entire loop is worthless, because you can document the risk reduction you're doing. And I'm expecting we will need to do cybersecurity loop calculations. And you need to put certified equipment in at set every single point from the start of the system to define any sensors. And if there's any weak points in there that will also be avoided won't be approved for cybersecurity because you only need one part to lose the entire value chain for safety.

Jim Frazer:  Thank you again. Lastly, for any of our audience members that might want to reach out to you can you share your contact information?

Adne Baer, Olsen Gassecure: 

Yes my email address is [email protected] . If you go if you go on LinkedIn, and search for gassecure so that's gas secure in one word, it should be easy enough to find.