Safety protocols are designed to protect people, projects, and property. Technology is used to provide the necessary reach for those protocols so they can alert the right people if a problem arises. In one area, site-wide gas monitoring, newer technologies are replacing more traditional approaches, combining modern cloud and cellular networks.
As an example, the Blackline Safety Corp. G7 EXO is a direct-to-cloud area gas monitor that integrates 4G cellular connectivity with global coverage in over 100 countries and on more than 350 mobile networks. Currently available in Europe and being certified for North America, the G7 EXO eliminates the need for mesh networks and Wi-Fi that may not be available at every facility or location.
The G7 EXO seamlessly connects worksites during shutdowns, turnarounds, and construction projects, and monitors tank farms, drilling rigs, confined spaces, site perimeters and more. With a 100-day battery life, rugged design and drop-and-go deployment, G7 EXO streamlines operations, saving time through easy setup and simplified maintenance.
Area gas monitoring has traditionally been time-consuming to set up and maintain, making sure that each monitor is communicating with others on the network. The mesh networks that are often used are limited by the allowable distance between devices, the maximum number of devices on the network and their message hopping limit—often two to five hops. If an alert does not reach another device or a gateway before the maximum number of hops is reached, the network will delete the message and a team member may be unaware of the environmental hazard.
Alternatively, some area monitoring systems use Wi-Fi for connectivity, requiring network provisioning and to be within range of an access point. Wi-Fi networks are not universally available across sites and facilities. Plus, with the increased focus on security, IT teams often hesitate to add additional devices to their industrial Wi-Fi networks.
In contrast, G7 EXO connects directly to the Blackline Safety Cloud using integrated 4G cellular connectivity, not requiring any other infrastructure. In most countries throughout Europe, the United States and Canada, G7 EXO is supported by a super-network of coverage comprised of multiple carriers. This redundancy in wireless networks provides additional coverage compared to any one of the individual wireless networks.
G7 EXO is also the first area monitor to pinpoint the location of gas exposures using the European Space Agency’s Galileo satellite network. The unit features a 72-channel multi-constellation GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) that supports Galileo, GPS, and Blackline’s proprietary location beacons for greater location accuracy and confidence than area monitors that use GPS alone.
With over a dozen years in direct-to-cloud safety innovation, G7 EXO works alongside G7 connected safety wearables, streaming gas readings, and safety alerts to the Blackline Safety Cloud. Businesses can manage G7 EXO area monitors from their Blackline Live cloud-hosted account that includes user access controls, team grouping and streamlined configuration management for wireless G7 EXO updates over-the-air.
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