Fazley Rabbi"If a gas leak starts at night, who will even know?" Restaurant kitchens with LPG cylinders, workshops on piped gas, warehouses full of fabric, cartons or chemicals, small factories that close after the evening shift: in all of these, the dangerous hours are often the ones when nobody is around to smell gas or see smoke. A battery smoke alarm beeping inside a locked warehouse helps nobody.
The answer is proper detectors on site, connected to alerts that reach people who are off site.
First, what this does not replace
Remote alerts are an extra layer. They do not replace fire extinguishers, clear exits, a properly installed and maintained gas supply, fire safety training, or the fire safety rules and inspections that apply to your premises. Gas lines and cylinders must be installed and checked by qualified gas technicians, and electrical work done by qualified electricians. If you smell gas or see smoke, people come first: get everyone out and call the fire service.
What the system is made of
- Certified gas and smoke detectors, chosen for the gas you actually use and the space you are protecting. Use devices made and certified for life safety, not hobby sensors.
- A local alarm loud enough to be heard on site.
- A connection module that sends an alert by app, SMS and phone call when a detector triggers.
- Optionally, an automatic gas shut-off valve or an exhaust fan that starts on alarm. These must be installed by a qualified gas technician or electrician, with a manual override and a manual reset.
Placement and choosing devices
Where a detector goes depends on the gas. LPG is heavier than air and tends to collect low, near the floor. Piped natural gas is lighter than air and tends to rise. Smoke rises towards the ceiling. So the right height differs from site to site: follow the detector maker's instructions and the advice of your fire safety adviser.
Avoid placing detectors directly above stoves, fryers or steam. If normal cooking sets off false alarms, staff soon learn to ignore the alarm, which defeats the purpose.
Steps to set it up
- Walk the site with whoever manages safety, and list where gas is stored and used, and where a fire could start unnoticed.
- Choose certified detectors for each spot.
- Decide who gets alerts, and in what order: the night guard, the manager, the owner. Include at least two people.
- Install and connect with qualified technicians.
- Test every detector and every alert path using the maker's test method, and repeat on a regular schedule.
- Write down the response: who goes, who calls the fire service, and where the gas shut-off and main electrical switch are.
Power cuts, networks and upkeep
Detectors and the connection module need battery backup so they keep working through load-shedding. Alerts should go by SMS or phone call as well as over the internet, because the internet may be down at exactly the moment it matters. Detectors have a limited service life and need periodic testing and replacement as the maker specifies. Dust and kitchen grease can affect them, so include cleaning in your routine.
Where an expert helps
Your safety adviser and gas technician decide what detectors you need and where. Where I can help is the connected part: linking certified detectors to reliable SMS, call and app alerts, adding escalation, and making sure it all keeps working during power and network outages. See IoT device development.
A small first step
Start with your highest-risk area, often the kitchen or the gas cylinder store, with one or two certified detectors connected to SMS and call alerts for two people. Test it, live with it for a few weeks, and fix any false alarms before extending it. Contact me if you would like help planning it.