Gas Test
Atmospheres
Gas Test Atmospheres covers testing and monitoring the air in a work area with a gas detector: oxygen, flammable and toxic gases, what the readings mean and what to do when they are wrong. It is for confined space workers, standby persons, shutdown and maintenance crews, safety officers and anyone who signs off a permit that depends on a gas test.
About this course
Many of the worst hazards on a site cannot be seen or smelt. Oxygen-deficient air, toxic gas and explosive gas mixtures build up in tanks, pipelines, pits, sewers, silos, underground utilities, hot work areas and processing plant, and the only way to know is to test. This course gives you the skills to test, monitor and assess a workplace atmosphere with gas detection equipment before work starts and while it goes on: choosing and checking the detector, taking readings in the right places, interpreting them, monitoring changing conditions, and acting on a bad result.
The course is designed for workers in mining, construction, oil and gas, manufacturing and industrial environments where atmospheric hazards may be present. This course is widely used alongside confined space training and permit-to-work systems, and many employers require it before a worker takes part in confined space work.
Who it is for
- Confined space workers and standby persons
- Shutdown, maintenance and construction crews
- Oil and gas, mining and utilities personnel
- Safety officers and permit signatories
- Industrial contractors and telecommunications workers in pits and service chambers
What it covers
- Introduction to atmospheric testing.Atmospheric hazards and what the workplace requires.
- Gas detection principles.How detectors sense gas, sensor types and their limits.
- Gas testing equipment.Selecting a portable multi-gas detector, pre-start inspection, bump testing, calibration checks, alarm settings and maintenance.
- Atmospheric monitoring procedures.Testing strategy, sampling locations, testing before and during work, and watching the trend.
- Hazard identification.Hazardous gases, vapours, oxygen-deficient and oxygen-enriched atmospheres, ignition sources and process emissions.
- Interpreting test results.What the numbers mean, lower explosive limit (LEL) testing and deciding whether the area is safe to work in.
- Risk control measures.Ventilation, isolation, continuous monitoring, PPE and safe work procedures.
- Confined space applications.Testing before entry to tanks, vessels, silos, pits, manholes, underground chambers and utility vaults, and monitoring throughout.
- Emergency response procedures.Responding to hazardous readings and unsafe conditions.
- Practical assessment.Hands-on gas testing exercises and competency assessment.
What you will be able to do
- Prepare for atmospheric testing and select the right equipment
- Bump test and check the calibration of a gas detector
- Conduct gas testing in the right places and in the right order
- Interpret readings accurately and monitor changing conditions
- Respond to a hazardous reading and communicate it
- Maintain the equipment and complete the workplace documentation
- Apply risk controls and follow WHS requirements
The atmospheres
you are testing for
Oxygen deficiency. Below safe limits, workers become dizzy, fatigued and confused, then lose consciousness. It can be fatal.
Oxygen enrichment. Excess oxygen sharply increases fire and explosion risk.
Flammable gases. Methane, hydrogen, acetylene, LPG and propane become dangerous as concentrations approach their explosive range. LEL testing tells you how close you are.
Toxic gases. Hydrogen sulphide, carbon monoxide, ammonia, chlorine and sulphur dioxide cause serious harm at low concentrations and can be fatal without controls.
Detectors and calibration
A gas detector is only as good as its last check. The course covers equipment selection, pre-start inspection, bump testing, calibration principles and frequencies, manufacturer requirements, sensor limitations, alarm settings, verification procedures and troubleshooting, so that the readings you rely on are readings you can trust.
Permits and confined spaces
Gas testing usually sits inside a formal system: confined space permits, hot work permits, isolation procedures and permit-to-work. The course shows how atmospheric testing feeds those systems, what gets recorded, and why a single reading before entry is not enough when conditions can change during the job.
Assessment
Assessment may include practical demonstrations, workplace scenarios, observation tasks, written assessments, verbal questioning and equipment operation exercises, confirming that you can carry out atmospheric testing safely and correctly.
Frequently
asked questions
Is this course required for confined space work?
Many employers require gas test atmospheres competency before a worker takes part in confined space activities. The two courses are often done together.
What gases are commonly tested?
Oxygen levels, combustible gases, and toxic gases such as hydrogen sulphide and carbon monoxide.
Is practical training included?
Yes. Ask Glen about the practical set-up when you book.
Book a seat on a set date
Booking yourself or a few people onto a date listed here? Pick the date and book online. For a group, training on your site or a date that is not listed, get a quote.
Get a quote
Tell Glen how many people need gas testing, where they are and when. He will quote the course for your site, on its own or together with confined spaces.