New kids on the block

MSA, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of sophisticated safety equipment – based in the United States and represented locally by MSA Africa – introduced three product lines in January this year to provide new options for detecting hazardous atmospheric conditions in industrial facilities.

The new products add to MSA’s already impressive fixed gas detection products. They are the Ultima MOS-5 Gas Detector, Ultrasonic EX5/IS 5 Gas Leak Detectors and the FlameGard 5 series of instruments. These new detection systems continuously monitor conditions in abnormal situations – such as fire, toxic or combustible gas leaks, even in changing atmospheric conditions – providing early warnings to protect employees and companies from serious potential dangers.

The Ultima MOS-5 Gas Detector and Ultima MOS-5E Transmitter sensors are micro-processor-based devices designed to measure and display three ranges of hydrogen sulphide: 0-20 ppm, 0-50 ppm and 0-00 ppm. These units simplify operations and maintenance through their practical self-calibration, activated by a magnetic switch and the application of a test gas, and are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

Airborne ultrasonic noise emitted by gas leaks at high pressure is detected by the Ultrasonic EX 5 and the Ultrasonic IS 5 Gas Leak Detectors. Using sound makes it possible to detect gas leaks, regardless of weather conditions, at the speed of sound before they turn into explosive gas clouds, thus providing a preventative measure that lasts up to 40 percent longer than conventional gas and leak detection systems and transmitters.

The FlameGard 5 Detector series comprises advanced multi-spectrum UV/IR devices designed to identify flame and fire hazards, detecting fires within three seconds of their starting. “The ability to compensate for environmental changes makes it highly immune to false alarms caused by lightening, arc-welding, hot objects and other sources of radiation,” says Robbie Taitz, marketing manager at MSA’s Gas Detection Products. “The FlameGard 5 system serves as a critical preventative safety measure in plants, as the device alerts process operators – via a control system – of danger before a threat becomes unmanageable. It’s able to stop all systems via an emergency shut down (ESD) system. This can save a plant money in damages and makes for a safer working environment.”