Selecting the Right Sensors for Hazardous Environments

Choosing the right sensors for hazardous environments is essential for ensuring safety and operational efficiency. This blog explores key considerations for sensor selection, the role of safety engineers, and an overview of Everight Position’s sensor solutions.

Key Considerations for Sensor Selection

Selecting the appropriate sensors for hazardous environments involves several critical considerations:

• Type of Hazard: Identifying the specific hazards present, such as gasses, dust, or vapors, is crucial to determine the appropriate sensor type. Each hazard requires different sensor designs to ensure accurate detection and safety.
• Environmental Conditions: Considering temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors is essential, as these can affect sensor performance. Sensors must be able to operate reliably under the specific conditions of the hazardous environment.
• Compliance Standards: Ensuring sensors meet relevant standards, such as UL, CSA, ATEX and IECEx, is vital for compliance and safety. These standards provide guidelines on the design and use of sensors in hazardous environments.
• Durability: Choosing sensors that can withstand harsh conditions without compromising performance is important. Durable sensors reduce maintenance needs and increase the longevity of the equipment.
• Accuracy and Reliability: Ensuring sensors provide precise and consistent readings is crucial for maintaining safety and operational efficiency. High accuracy and reliability are necessary to avoid false alarms and ensure timely responses to real hazards.

Role of Safety Engineers

Safety engineers play a critical role in selecting appropriate sensors. They evaluate the overall risk of the environment and recommend suitable devices, working closely with sensor providers to ensure the best solutions are implemented. Their expertise ensures that all potential hazards are accounted for and that the chosen sensors will perform effectively under the conditions present in the hazardous environment.

Everight Position’s Sensor Solutions

Everight Position offers a range of sensor solutions tailored for hazardous environments:

• Positek: Specializes in linear, rotary, and tilt sensors based on intrinsically safe principles. These sensors are designed to prevent ignitions by limiting the power available in the device’s circuitry.
• POSITAL: Offers rotary and tilt sensors with explosion-proof options and Wiegand energy harvesting technology. These sensors are constructed to contain any internal explosions and prevent them from igniting the external environment.
• Micronor: Provides fiber optic rotary encoders that are inherently safe and suitable for various hazardous environments. These encoders rely on fiber optics to transmit data, eliminating the risk of ignitions from electrical sparks.