Hygiene in The Workplace

Mankind has continuously searched for and found evolving means for survival. Gas monitoring instrumentation has been a part of that evolution. In the span of the last 200+ years, the act of monitoring a worker's environment for explosive and toxic gases, as well as for oxygen enrichment or deficiency, has seen a tremendous evolution. The need to understand which potential hazards existed in the work environment began in the mining industry. Mining applications can present several unseen atmospheric dangers. Explosive gases such as methane and poisonous gases such as nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide threaten the lives of miners every day. The presence of toxic gases also can affect oxygen levels. For example, hydrogen sulfide that is heavier than air can force out existing oxygen, bringing the oxygen level to below the absolute minimum safe level of 19.5 percent by volume. In the 1700s, fire bosses in coal mines would literally use a torch to light off existing methane gas to clear the way for workers to perform their duties. By today's standards, this is not exactly the safest way of clearing the air, especially for the fire boss, but it did clear the air.