Said to be the first UK service testing to the new gas standard EN61779 (Electrical Apparatus for the detection and measurement of flammable gases)
Sira Test and Certification offers UKAS-accredited testing and calibration to this standard, and is currently the only UK test laboratory which is accredited to test to this standard.
This standard is applicable to manufacturers of flammable gas detection apparatus intended for use in industrial safety applications, which is intended to give a warning of potential explosion hazard.
In some cases, the apparatus is also intended to initiate automatic or manual protection action.
The electrical apparatus intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres, and in mines susceptible to firedamp, can be supplied by the manufacturers for testing in Sira's on-site laboratory in Bromley, Kent.
Group I and Group II apparatus (Group I is for use for gas detection in mines or industrial environments and Group II is for non-mining, such as oil refineries and offshore platforms) are included in this standard, and therefore can be tested by Sira to this standard.
Sira's gas test facility offers customers a full testing programme in influence conditions (such as climatic) with real test gases.
Sira can test a comprehensive range of gases under its UKAS accreditation, including: alkanes such as butane and methane; carbon monoxide; carbon dioxide; oxygen; combinations of these gases (in multi-component mixtures).
Gases can be balanced with nitrogen, air or any of the above.
The laboratory is well-equipped and offers a rapid turnaround time for testing of gas detection instruments, against international standards, as well as other standards on request.
Measurement uncertainty ranges from +/- 1.25% + 1ppm, with ranges from ppm to 100%.
Climatic influence temperatures vary from -60 to +200C with 5-95%RH for gas mixtures and climatic conditions.
