AGT PARTICIPANT HANDOUT Introduction: Gas testing is an essential activity that is crucial in ensuring the safety of workers in various industries. The process involves testing the air or gas in a specific area to identify any hazardous gases, vapours, or fumes that may pose a threat to human health or cause explosions or fires. In this article, we will discuss the hazards of gases, precautions to take during gas testing, and the various exposure limits to keep in mind.
Abbreviations Used Before diving into the topic, it is essential to understand the following abbreviations used in gas testing: •
Gas: Any substance of very low density and viscosity (no shape, fills the free space of the container) Vapour: Mist or fumes suspended in the air
•
Liquid: Any flowing substance with little tendency to disperse (no shape, takes shape of the container) PPM: Parts Per Million
•
TLV-TWA: Threshold Limit Value – Time-Weighted Average
•
STEL: Short Term Exposure Limit
•
IDLH: Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health
•
LEL: Lower Explosive Limit UEL: Upper Explosive Limit
Hazards of Gases