Gas detectors: Delivering safety and efficiency in food manufacturing
In the food and drink industry, refrigeration is essential to ensure the safety, freshness and longevity of ingredients and products. Though indispensable, refrigeration systems are prone to gas leaks that are hazardous to employees, damaging to the environment and cause the system to be less energy efficient. Shaun Evers, Managing Director of Stonegate, discusses the dangers of refrigerant gas leaks and explains how today’ s advanced gas detection technology helps eradicate leaks and their consequences.
Health hazards
Employee health & safety is a non-negotiable for all companies. For food and drink manufacturers that rely on refrigeration and cold storage, one of the major risks is the potential health hazards caused by exposure to refrigerant gases. Without taste, odour or colour, the gases’ presence can go unnoticed, which is a concern given that in the UK, most leaks are not discovered until a system has lost 60 % of its gases. With average loss rates of 20 % per annum, employees could potentially have been exposed for three years.
Exposure to escaped gases can cause a number of health problems, from headaches, coughing and nausea to breathing difficulties and skin and eye irritation. The risks are significantly greater in confined areas, like cold storage, where higher concentration levels can result in unconsciousness and suffocation. As some refrigerant gases are flammable, leaks also increase the potential for fire, particularly
94 FDPP- www. fdpp. co. uk in environments where hightemperature processing occurs.
Efficiency and cost implications
Another hidden problem with refrigerant gas leaks is that they cause HVAC and refrigeration systems to work less effectively. As gases escape, the systems need to work harder to maintain temperature control and in doing so, consume more energy. Carbon Trust research shows that a system which has lost 20 % of its gas typically consumes 11 % more energy. With most leaks not identified until 60 % of the gas has escaped, some food and drink manufacturers could be paying an unnecessary 33 % extra to operate their refrigeration systems.