Helmet-Mounted Real-Time Toxic Gas Monitoring and Prevention System for Workers in Confined Places

Abstract

Occupational health and safety hazards associated with confined places are mainly caused by exposure to toxic gases and oxygen deficiency. Lack of awareness, inappropriate monitoring, and improper evacuation methods can lead to worker fatalities. Although previous studies have attempted to develop systems to solve this issue, limited research is available on their application in confined places. In this study, a real-time helmet-mounted system was developed to monitor major toxic gases (methane (CH4), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), ammonia (NH3), and carbon monoxide (CO)), oxygen, temperature, and humidity. Workers outside and inside confined spaces receive alerts every second to immediately initiate the rescue operation in the event of a hazard. The test results of a confined environment (wastewater treatment unit) highlighted that concentrations of CH4 and H2S were predominant (13 ppm). Compared to normal atmosphere, CH4 concentration was 122- and 130-fold higher in the landfill and digestion tanks, respectively, while H2S was 36- and 19-fold higher in the primary and secondary clarifiers, respectively. The oxygen content (18.2%) and humidity (33%) were below the minimum required limits. This study will benefit future research to target appropriate toxic gas monitoring and alert workers by studying the existing issues and associated factors in confined places.

A System for Individual Environmental Risk Assessment and Management with IoT Based on the Worker’s Health History

“…It must be highlighted that not only industry requires this kind of system, but also other sectors such as agriculture, mining, and services, among others. For example, smart PPE and monitoring systems were proposed by [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. A review of technologies and trends of environmental risk assessment and management in the Industry 4.0 context is shown by Lemos et al [21].…”

“…Rajakumar and Choi [20] proposed a real-time helmet-mounted system to monitor hazardous gases (methane, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and carbon monoxide), oxygen, temperature, and humidity. Workers outside and inside confined spaces receive alerts every second to immediately initiate the rescue operation in the event of a hazard.…”

“…The choice of sensors considered low-cost options are commonly used in similar solutions, such as in [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. ESP32 is a series of low-cost and low-power microcontrollers and is also a system-on-a-chip (SoC) with an integrated microcontroller, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.…”

PLC Based Scada System Design for Instant Monitoring and Early Warning Mechanism of Toxic Gases in Underground Mines

“…In an age marked by industry, technology, and urbanization, the measurement of toxic gases has become an indispensable aspect of ensuring the health and safety of both the environment and the people who inhabit it (Rajakumar and Choi, 2023). The detection and quantification of hazardous gases are critical not only for the preservation of air quality but also for preventing potentially life-threatening incidents in various settings, including industrial, residential, and environmental contexts.…”

An Investigation of Frame-Core Tube Building Construction Sites on Safety Evacuation

“…Building construction sites have many properties different from the completed building [2,3]. The location of the safety evacuation is becoming more and more extensive and detailed [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. Construction control and management is an important part of construction management [12][13][14], and all projects should be given enough attention.…”