Fire Protection & Safety

Al Masaood relies on 3M’s BM25

Al Masood vouches for the smooth performance of 3M’s BM25 gas detectors

The BM25 from Oldham-Simtronics, part of 3M Gas & Flame Detection, which was recently acquired by Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, is a rugged multi-gas area monitor designed to ensure safety in hazardous environments.

Testimony to this fact is provided by Al Masaood Oil & Gas, which following its formation in 1971, became one of the first oil and gas suppliers and contractors in the UAE. Al Masaood has supplied around 800 BM25 portable gas detectors into a host of onshore and offshore projects, including 200 of the latest-generation wireless models. The company acquires the units directly from Oldham-Simtronics.

“We selected the BM25 because we can trust and depend on its performance in the harsh environments in which we operate,” stated Ammar Maarouf, department manager, Airloop and H2S Safety Services, Al Masaood Oil & Gas. “The BM25’s robust construction and intelligent design make it one of the best detectors to be deployed in applications where area monitoring is a critical part of the safety system.”

The BM25 was designed for team protection or area surveillance, and is ideally suited to perimeter monitoring, rig overhauls, and mobile or short-term work where fixed detection systems are not practical.

3M Oldham BM 25 and BM 25 wireless portable gas detetctors

3M Oldham BM 25 and BM 25 wireless portable gas detetctors

Providing the capability to monitor one-to-five gases simultaneously, the BM25 packs the benefits of a fixed area monitor into a rugged, user-friendly and transportable instrument; a factor that has long-appealed to Al Masaood.

Around 10 years after the introduction of the first-generation BM25, the monitor continues to be the tried and trusted go-to solution within the transportable gas detection market.

With over 900 employees, Abu Dhabi-based Al Masaood Oil & Gas provides advanced energy services into upstream and downstream operations. Its Air Loop and H2S Safety business unit also supplies, calibrates and services various application-specific products across the UAE, including portable gas monitors, for both sales and rental-based projects.

“Provide us with a challenge and we’ll find the right solution,” said Maarouf. “Portable gas detection and area monitoring has been a key competency for many years, and here we rely on various solutions from 3M Gas & Flame Detection, including the PS200 multi-gas detector, as well as the BM25,” he added.

Up to five gases can be monitored simultaneously using the BM25; interchangeable sensors are available for AsH3, CO, CO2, H2, HCl, HCN, NO2, NH3, O2, PH3, SiH4 and SO2. When the BM25 detects a hazardous level of gas, the top-mounted beacon sends a flashing, bright signal in all directions while emitting a powerful, 103dB siren alarm.

“The standard BM25 can send alarms via alarm transfer cables, however, the BM25 Wireless sends alarms, faults and readings using a 2.4GHz wireless signal,” explained Maarouf. “This setup can create a safety perimeter around a detected atmospheric hazard, or transmit a manually initiated emergency signal over a wide area,” he said.

Powered by a NiMH battery pack, the BM25 multi-gas monitor offers up to 170 hours of continuous run time. Other features include STEL (short-term exposure limit) and TWA (time-weighted average) values, as well as a data-logging capacity of more than four months.

The BM25 Wireless provides networking and communication to the Oldham-Simtronics MX40 controller, which centralises the data and can display up to 32 measurements in real time. When a BM25 signals an alarm, the MX40 also goes into alarm mode and can, for example, control internal relays and order other monitors to transmit the alarm as well. The control panel displays real-time gas concentrations, field device status, battery levels, network RF signal quality and fault diagnostic conditions.

“To date we’ve supplied around 200 BM25 Wireless gas detectors,” said Maarouf. “In fact, I think we were the first in our region to offer them. Our customers love the simplicity and the speed in which they can be deployed to keep workers safe,” he added.

The Oldham-Simtronics BM25 Wireless can be used as a stand-alone monitor or linked into a mesh network to provide gas detection over a large area. The mesh network allows peer-to-peer connection with all other units in the network to send, receive and relay data. As a result, detectors can communicate around obstructions and alter communication paths should a monitor be removed for recharging or servicing. A total of 30 BM25 Wireless units may be meshed together in a single network, while up to 16 independent networks can co-exist without interference.

“We have used the BM25 and BM25 Wireless for so many years because they offer five-gas capability and are compact and extremely reliable in comparison with competitor units,” stated Maarouf. “We also like the excellent connectivity of the BM25 Wireless unit, which offers added-value for our clients as there is no need to use transfer cables for the alarm. A good stock of detectors is maintained at Al Masaood so that we can respond quickly to customer requirements,” he added.

With 14,000 units in operation worldwide, BM25 multi-gas detectors are technologically capable and highly proven devices. This latter point is particularly important in safety-critical oil and gas applications, where any failure to detect dangerous gases could have disastrous consequences.

Teledyne, last month announced the successful completion of the previously announced acquisition by Teledyne of the gas and flame detection business of 3M for $230 million in cash. The gas and flame detection business includes Oldham, Simtronics, Gas Measurement Instruments (GMI), Detcon and select Scott Safety products.

“We have now completed two corporate carve-out acquisitions in 2019, and we closed each transaction within two months of announcement.”

The gas and flame detection business provides a portfolio of fixed and portable industrial gas and flame detection instruments used in a variety of industries including petrochemical, power generation, oil & gas, food & beverage, mining and waste water treatment. The Oldham, Simtronics, GMI and Detcon brands bring together over 100 years of industry experience across a wide range of standard products and customized solutions. These rugged trace gas analyzers feature fast response time, intrinsically-safe sensors and satisfy multiple international certification standards.

“We are excited to welcome this new core business and its employees to Teledyne. The gas and flame detection business utilises similar technology and serves related markets as our portfolio of environmental instrumentation businesses. However, our respective products do not compete and we generally serve customers in complementary geographies,” said Robert Mehrabian, executive xhairman of Teledyne. “We have now completed two corporate carve-out acquisitions in 2019, and we closed each transaction within two months of announcement.”

Teledyne is a leading provider of sophisticated instrumentation, digital imaging products and software, aerospace and defense electronics, and engineered systems. Its operations are primarily located in the US, Canada, the UK, and Western and Northern Europe.