From grain milling and fermentation to carbonation, and refrigeration, the food and beverage industry faces distinct gas hazards that can put people and property at risk. To safeguard your workforce, it’s essential to have the proper gas monitoring systems in place.
Hazardous gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), ammonia (NH3), and nitrogen (N2) are commonly present in food and beverage production. CO2 is often used in carbonation and as dry ice for transportation, while ammonia, a toxic refrigerant, poses serious health risks even at low levels. Nitrogen, commonly stored in bulk, can displace oxygen, leading to suffocation risks. With so many potential dangers in the atmosphere, gas detectors are crucial for safeguarding your workplace from unexpected harms. Here are a few key hazards to know.
Alcohol manufacture
From grain milling to transportation, to bottling and dispensing, every stage of the supply chain for brewers and distillers carries risks of gas hazards which require careful consideration.
The main combustible hazard found within the industry is the fumes and vapours produced by ethanol. With the capacity to be emitted from leaks in tanks, casks, transfer pumps, pipes and flexible hoses, ethanol vapour is a very real fire and explosion hazard. The best way to mitigate these risks is through rigorous approaches to gas detection, so any leaks and gas build up can be swiftly remedied.
Other common gas hazards include nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Often used to protect against oxygenation, improve taste and aroma and extend the lifespan of the end-product, leaks of these gases can displace oxygen, causing asphyxiation and even death.
Another risk which can easily be overlooked, is that of dust. Within the first part of the distilling and brewing process, which comprises the handling, storage and milling of malt grains, dust is created. This dust is flammable and can be dangerous if an extraction system is not in place to remove the dust from the air.
GAS HAZARDS IN THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE SECTOR
Hazardous gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), ammonia (NH3), and nitrogen (N2) are commonly present in food and beverage production. CO2 is often used in carbonation and as dry ice for transportation, while ammonia, a toxic refrigerant, poses serious health risks even at low levels. Nitrogen, commonly stored in bulk, can displace oxygen, leading to suffocation risks. With so many potential dangers in the atmosphere, gas detectors are crucial for safeguarding your workplace from unexpected harms. Here are a few key hazards to know.
Food processing & packaging
Secondary food processing methods such as cooking, fermentation, and refrigeration pose significant gas hazards, such as from the use of gas-fired industrial steam boilers, which are typically powered by natural gas (methane) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), like propane. These flammable gases can pose fire and explosion risks if leaked, so gas detectors are commonly installed near boilers and in fuel storage areas to monitor for leaks, trigger alarms, and initiate shutdowns to prevent accidents.
Boiler rooms, especially those underground or in enclosed spaces, are dependent on gas detection and ventilation systems to ensure worker safety and compliance with safety guidelines. Similarly, detection systems are critical for any gas-powered equipment, helping prevent potentially fatal incidents by automatically shutting down the gas supply in case of leaks.
In food packaging, nitrogen (N2) is commonly used to extend shelf life by preventing oxidation and bacterial growth. However, nitrogen poses an asphyxiation hazard since it displaces oxygen, which can be dangerous in confined spaces, making air quality monitoring essential for worker safety.
GAS HAZARDS IN THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE SECTOR
Hazardous gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), ammonia (NH3), and nitrogen (N2) are commonly present in food and beverage production. CO2 is often used in carbonation and as dry ice for transportation, while ammonia, a toxic refrigerant, poses serious health risks even at low levels. Nitrogen, commonly stored in bulk, can displace oxygen, leading to suffocation risks. With so many potential dangers in the atmosphere, gas detectors are crucial for safeguarding your workplace from unexpected harms. Here are a few key hazards to know.
Refrigeration
Large-scale food storage facilities often use cooling systems based on anhydrous ammonia (> 50% NH3), as it is efficient and economical- however it is both toxic and flammable. It is also lighter than air and fills up enclosed spaces rapidly when leaked. It can also become flammable if released in an enclosed space where a source of ignition is present, or if a vessel of anhydrous ammonia is exposed to fire.
Ammonia is detected with electro-chemical (toxic) and catalytic (flammable) sensor technology. Portable detection, including single- or multi-gas detectors, can monitor instantaneous and TWA exposure to toxic levels of NH3. Multi-gas personal monitors have been shown to improve workers’ safety where a low-range ppm for routine system surveys and flammable range is used during system maintenance.
Fixed detection systems include a combination of toxic- and flammable-level detectors connected to local control panels – these are usually supplied as part of a cooling system. Fixed systems can also be used for process over-rides and ventilation control. Detector placement should be carefully considered, as ammonia will fill up breathing spaces rapidly.
GAS HAZARDS IN THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE SECTOR
Hazardous gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), ammonia (NH3), and nitrogen (N2) are commonly present in food and beverage production. CO2 is often used in carbonation and as dry ice for transportation, while ammonia, a toxic refrigerant, poses serious health risks even at low levels. Nitrogen, commonly stored in bulk, can displace oxygen, leading to suffocation risks. With so many potential dangers in the atmosphere, gas detectors are crucial for safeguarding your workplace from unexpected harms. Here are a few key hazards to know.
Chemical disinfection
The slightest contamination of surfaces and equipment may provide an ideal breeding ground for all kinds of germs. Therefore the food and beverage sector demands rigorous cleaning and disinfection to meet industry standards, however these processes come with their own set of risks.
There are three methods of disinfection commonly used: thermal, radiation and chemical. Chemical disinfection with chlorine-based compounds is by far the most common and effective way to disinfect equipment or other surfaces, as chlorine-based compounds are inexpensive, fast acting and effective against a variety of microorganisms.
In any combination, chlorine compounds are hazardous and exposure to high concentrations of chlorine can cause severe health issues. Chlorine gases are usually stored on site and a gas detection system should be installed, with a relay output to trigger ventilation fans once a high level of chlorine is detected.
No one understands better than our team just how important the right detection solutions are for you and your site. That’s why we’re always on hand to talk you through your gas detection needs, to ensure you’re equipped with precisely the right tools to keep your people and property safe.
Read about Crowcon’s Privacy and Cookie policy here. If you change your mind, you can unsubscribe at any time
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
