Hazmat handling: Employee protection takes precedence
—Handling hazardous materials is part of the daily routine in many workplaces. In doing so, employees are, for example exposed to hazards from explosion risks or carcinogenic substances in harmful concentrations. Toxic hazards and the threat of oxygen deficiency are also present in various application areas. Equipped with the right personal protective equipment (PPE), precise gas detector and practical training you can design these processes safely and efficiently. With hazmat equipment from Dräger you are well protected when handling hazardous materials.
Recognising and evaluating hazardous situations
Many procedures and processes in routine work, e.g. cleaning procedures, decanting of chemicals, require close monitoring and additional protection against hazardous substances. Critical points can be derived from the risk assessment at the workplace.
5 steps of a risk assessment should follow:
Step 1: Identify the hazards
Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how
Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
Step 4: Record your findings and implement them
Step 5: Review your assessment and update if necessary
Stay informed about hazardous materials handling
Impacts of hazardous substances
Hazmat handling on workplace can impact the body in three main ways:
1) Impacts on consciousness
2) Impacts on organs and vital functions
3) Skin irritations or mechanical injuries.
Hazard Signs
Learn more about the different classes of hazmats and the symbols you should look for on the labels of potentially hazardous substances. Our infographic has it all covered.
Identifying and monitoring hazards in the workplace
—Workplace monitoring
Personal gas detectors warn your employees in risk areas in good time about exceeding occupational exposure limits. They are usually worn directly on the work clothing. Therefore, ease of operation, high wearing comfort and robustness are important here. Our detectors to monitor single gases or multiple gases help to increase safety during handling hazardous materials in the workplace.
Dräger Pac® 8000
With the robust Dräger Pac® 8000, you'll be well equipped for tough conditions: this non-disposable, personal single-gas detection device is a reliable and precise instrument, which detects hazardous concentrations of 29 different gases, including special gases like NO2, O3 or COCl2. Measured data can easily be transmitted into the Dräger Gas Detec…
tion Connect system via Bluetooth®.
Dräger X-am 5000
The Dräger X-am 5000 belongs to a generation of gas detectors, developed especially for personal monitoring applications. This 1- to 5-gas detector reliably measures combustible gases and vapors as well as oxygen and harmful concentrations of toxic gases, organic vapors, Odorant and Amine.
Hazmat equipment for working in explosive atmospheres
While handling hazmats also explosive atmospheres can be caused by flammable gases, mists or vapours or by combustible dusts. In those environment explosion protection measures, mostly regulated by law, keeps the personnel and plants safe. The ATEX directives describe what equipment and work space is allowed in environments with an explosive atmosphere. Dräger offers detection and protection equipment according the ATEX standard which is indented for use in Ex-zones.
ATEX at a glance
Explosion protection and gas detection: Ex-marking and meaning - these compact overview shows what you need to know.
Monitoring Ex hazards
Unintentional leakage is never excluded for example in storage rooms with explosive substances. A stationary gas measurement system issues an alarm and triggers countermeasures such as the start of the ventilation system.
Dräger Polytron® 8700 IR
The Dräger Polytron® 8700 IR is an advanced explosion proof transmitter for the detection of combustible gases in the lower explosion limit (LEL). It uses a high performance infrared Dräger PIR 7000 sensor, which will quickly detect most common hydrocarbon gases. Besides a 3 wire 4 to 20 mA analogue output with relays, it also offers HART®, Modbus …
and Fieldbus making it compatible with most control systems.
The hazmat-based safety product finder
The new web tool Dräger VOICE supports you with vital information to more than 1,500 hazardous substances, about their physiochemical characteristics and relevant limit values and recommends suitable respiratory and body protection equipment as well as appropriate gas detection solutions.
Related product areas
Portable Gas Detectors
Fixed Gas Detection Solutions
Respiratory Protection Equipment
Head and Eye Protection
Hazmat Suits
Shutdown Management and Equipment Rental
Related topics
Confined Space Entry
Carcinogenic substances at work
H<sub>2</sub>S Dangers and Monitoring
Get in touch with Dräger
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Postal Address: P.O. Box 4676 Rivonia, 2128 Republic of South Africa
Cape Town: Unit 2, 7 on London, 7 London Circle, Brackengate Business Park, Brackenfell, 7561
Postal Address: P.O. Box 3677 Tygervalley 7536
Durban: 17 Thynk Industrial Park Cnr Brickworks and Queen Nandi Drive, Briardene, Durban North, 7561
Postal Address: P.O. Box 40554 Redhill 4071
3rd Floor, EY Tower-Canon House, 60 Rangoon Lane, Cantonments City, Accra - Ghana
Postal Address: P.O Box CT 4412, Cantonments, Accra – Ghana.
Digital Address: GL-045-5249