In facilities where ammonia is used or stored, including laboratories, cold storage spaces, and chemical production environments, fixed gas detection is often used to promptly identify leaks of this toxic substance. Combustible gas detector prevents health issues, maintains compliance with regulations, and allows businesses to respond quickly and mitigate hazard risk. For example, if ammonia leaks into refrigerated spaces, the detector would immediately alert the employees to take appropriate safety measures such as evacuation or closing solenoids and triggering other outputs.

Ammonia Detectors: Ensuring Safety in High-Risk Environments

NH3 is lighter than air, so it collects at the ceiling (or the highest point in the space). If not detected and addressed in time, the concentration can build to such an extent that a person entering the room could be overcome with a suffocating odor and potentially dangerous breathing conditions. This is why ammonia detectors are placed at or near the ceiling of spaces where the gas is present.

Exposure to NH3 can cause irritation of the eyes and throat, coughing, or respiratory distress in low-concentration exposures, while high-concentration levels can result in lung damage, blindness, and even death. Employees should be trained in the proper handling of ammonia and should wear PPE, such as a protective vest, face shield, goggles, gloves, and respirator, when working in areas where it is used or stored. Proper ventilation is also crucial to keep ammonia levels from building up, and can be achieved with a dedicated system of fans or with the use of an ambient monitor.