The air we breathe, quite ironically, is the one thing that most of us take for granted all the time. Maybe such complacence stems from the fact that we think we have unlimited supply of breathable air. While we may have a lot of oxygen, it does not mean that it is available to all of us all the time.
Oxygen deficiency is a hazard that is faced by a lot of people different walks of life. It is even a possibility that it can happen right inside your home as it can happen whenever gas leaks occur and displaces the oxygen from the immediate vicinity. This problem becomes more dangerous whenever it happens in confined spaces where there is no or limited natural ventilation.
This is also a hazard faced by workers in many industries that involve chemicals and other processes that have gas-form byproducts or industries in mining.
The normal oxygen concentration levels in the air at sea level is around 20.9%. A drop to 19.5% is already considered a hazard and can already affect individuals that have underlying health conditions. A further drop to around 15% will cause some coordination problems in many people and will also cause some adverse effects on people that are vulnerable. A concentration of 10% and below will cause unconsciousness and death.
Oxygen monitors are devices that detect oxygen in the air and determine if the concentration is still healthy. If it goes beyond a certain threshold level, it immediately sounds off an alert to individuals in the vicinity and to emergency personnel. There are also monitors that can detect and measure different gases which might come in handy for a lot of workers working in different industries. A multi-gas detector is also ideal for home use and is ideal for monitoring gases usually utilized or potentially found at home like propane, LPG, natural gas, carbon monoxide and, of course, oxygen.
There are two types of oxygen monitors: the permanently installed kind and the portable kind. For homes the permanent fixture types are ideal because they should be adequate for home purposes. Portable oxygen monitors are great for workers who go on different risk locations in the conduct of their jobs. While most companies install fixed oxygen and gas monitoring systems in these areas, most also rely on redundant protocols where individuals are also issued portable monitors.
