Off-Duty Firefighter Saves 30 Diners After Noticing Carbon Monoxide Leak in North Carolina Restaurant

By | AGS, Fire & Environment Safety

On December 14th Lonnie Wimmer, one off-duty North Carolina firefighter, ensured dozens of people happy and healthy holidays when he noticed signs of a potentially deadly carbon monoxide leak while dining at a restaurant over the weekend. Lonnie was attending a birthday party at the River Ridge Taphouse in Clemmons on Saturday when he and other patrons began to experience headaches and nausea, LFD Assistant Chief Steve Williams tells PEOPLE. After immediately calling the LFD and alerting them to what he deciphered was a carbon monoxide leak multiple ambulances responded, and all restaurant patrons were evacuated, Williams said. Around 30 people showed signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, with at least 16 transported to local hospitals.

At AGS we want to provide a solution to help restaurant owners protect members of the public as well as their workers. When solid fuel is burned, products of combustion, including carbon monoxide gas, are released. Carbon monoxide is a highly poisonous gas with no taste, smell or color. Moderate exposure can lead to serious permanent ill-health effects or death. Children, pregnant women, smokers and people with heart or breathing problems are particularly at risk. The early signs of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to common ailments such as flu or upset stomach, but can escalate very quickly. Symptoms can include: Headache; Abdominal pain; Nausea/vomiting; Chest pains; Breathlessness; Dizziness; Collapse.

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American Gas Safety have a number of products to protect staff from the exposure of carbon monoxide within the commercial kitchen environment, such as our Merlin 1500S (pictured above). We also supply and manufacture Carbon Monoxide alarms, exhaust fan activation, visual Carbon Dioxide traffic light indication and much more. AGS products also cover residential properties by using our Mini Merlin, a combined methane & carbon monoxide detector & boiler rooms with our GDP range. Please email or call our team at AGS for any further information info@americangassafety.com or call (727)-608-4375

Official article – https://www.yahoo.com/celebrity/off-duty-firefighter-saves-30-205828822.html

 

Fire House Protection

By | AGS, Fire & Environment Safety

American Gas Safety protects many environments with its modern solutions for gas safety. One such environment which you may not recognize as requiring such a level of safety is your local fire house. Turns out the guys and gals who spend their time protecting us need that little bit of security and safety built into their working environments.
Here’s the scenario; Team A is busy prepping work gear and generally preparing themselves for a long shift at the fire house. Someone is cooking the team’s meal, a nice hearty fuel enriched stew on the gas range in the kitchen.
The fire alarm annunciation signal goes off, everyone springs into action, with only the safety of the general public on their minds. Did someone forget to turn off the gas stove?

firehouse

It happens much more often then you would think, but fires in fire houses is not uncommon. The Merlin range of gas safety and isolation panels has a solution.

The Merlin 1000Si and 1000S+i are perfect for this situation. Allowing key lock authority over the gas supply to the kitchen and auto shut down of that supply if and when the fire alarm annunciation signal is live. Coupled with detectors and remote knock off buttons we can protect the personnel whilst they go about protecting us.

We have created a CAD file to demonstrate the Merlin system and to form a basis for specification, the CAD file can be viewed at http://americangassafety.com/product/merlin-1000si-2/

Link the Merlin 1000Si or 1000S+i to a lockable knock off button or the Merlin CT500s and you can control and protect the stations outdoor grill with the same system.

1000S

1000S

For more information regarding the Fire House protection solution from AGS please contact your local representative. www.americangassafety.com Tel: (727)608-4375

70 Children Poisoned by CO

By | AGS, Fire & Environment Safety, Laboratory Control

Once again we are reminded of the dangers of CO poisoning. 70 Children and their teachers harmed by the buildup of CO in their classrooms. The faulty appliance or flue is still yet to be determined, but with readings of over 200ppm at the time of evacuation they are all lucky to get out without any long term serious effects.

Read the full article here: http://trib.in/1kfiwDc

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Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune

American Gas Safety has adaptable solutions for detecting CO, all with built in connectivity to sound alarms, shut off gas and fuel supplies, interact with BMS and BAS systems.

This is why we are here, to protect our children, families and communities from harmful gases.

For more information check out the website at: http://americangassafety.com/about-the-team/

Or call the Sales Solutions team at (727)608-4375

We Are Mass Approved

By | Fire & Environment Safety, Kitchen Interlock, Laboratory Control

We have formally been notified that the Merlin range of Gas Safety products have been approved by the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters. A division of the Professional Licensure Boards of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
http://www.mass.gov/ocabr/licensee/dpl-boards/pl/

We would like to thank the Board for there help in granting us this approval. We hope to be specified very shortly and can now move forward with future submittals.

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To find the product in the online system follow this link. http://license.reg.state.ma.us/pubLic/pl_products/pb_pre_form.asp

All the products are listed under Gas, except for the 1000SW+ which is listed under Gas and Plumbing.

For information regarding the Merlin range of Gas Safety Solutions or for information about your local sales rep please call the team on (727)-608-4375 or email info@americangassafety.com

 

 

 

Adaptable by Design

By | AGS, Fire & Environment Safety, Kitchen Interlock

One of the best things about the Merlin 1000S system is it’s adaptable use. Once it is understood that it is basically a gas isolation panel with a built in pressure test facility the applications for it’s use multiply.

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The latest application we have come across is the new trend for restaurant fire pits. Using the Merlin 1000S you can give the restaurant a lockable control panel for the fire pit. Allowing only authorized staff to operate the gas supply. The panel will check that the control tap is in the closed position before allowing the gas to be supplied. The Merlin 1000S also continually tests the incoming supply pressure to make sure the flame can not be blown out be gusts of wind. The ability to knock of the gas via a EM stop button is linked in and any number of remote buttons can be added. Read More

Big Chill

By | AGS, Fire & Environment Safety

It’s that time of year again. The wind has changed direction and with it comes the frost and the snow. It maybe early this year and it may have taken you by surprise but now is the time to act. Get your boiler serviced, check you flue for blockages and protect yourself and your family from unforeseen dangers. Read More

Are Your Loved Ones Safe?

By | Fire & Environment Safety

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. Although it is a by product of normal animal metabolism it is dangerous at high concentration levels. Carbon Monoxide is also generated by fossil fuel burning appliances like stoves, heaters and generators and its these appliances which we need to be careful of.

Even though there are rigorous code and regulations governing these appliances and their flue’s, it only takes a little human error or short sightedness or maybe a change in the weather to transform these appliances into deadly machines.

Carehome

Recently, residents at a Grand Island, NY nursing home were evacuated from parts of their building after high levels of carbon monoxide were detected in the basement. According to Buffalo News, firefighters detected dangerous carbon monoxide levels of 350 to 400 parts per million in the basement near a boiler which provides hot water and heat to the two story building.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that carbon monoxide is the leading cause of unintentional poisoning deaths in the U.S every year. The gas is responsible for about 15,000 emergency room visits and 500 deaths.

The boiler at the Grand Island care facility was found to have a blocked exhaust flue. Blocked by snow. An unforeseen result of the days heavy snow fall.

Luckily, no one was injured or needed further aid at the nursing home and the high levels of carbon monoxide were confined to the basement. The snow blocking the exhaust of the poisonous gas was removed and fans were employed to help dissipate the room.

Early warning is vital when dealing with carbon monoxide and the immediate shut-off of the supply of the poisonous gas is advantageous. American Gas Safety’s GSP range of gas safety panels, when combined with the digital CO detectors will immediately sound an alarm, shut-off the incoming gas supply to appliances via a solenoid valve and even alert the buildings BMS or existing fire alarm system.

Most Carbon Monoxide poisonings happen in winter, as people are more likely to stay in confined spaces for longer periods of time and close ventilation with the intention of stopping drafts. Most states have laws and legislation to help with detection and prevention of CO poisoning but its always worth checking with your care facilities to see if their standard of detection and alarm is up to date and sufficient to protect your loved ones whilst they sleep. It only takes a question on your next visit and it could save the lives of your loved ones and others who resided at the facilities.

For more information on the life saving abilities of the Merlin GSP range of safety panels and the other products available from American Gas Safety please check out the website or give the office a call on (727) 608-4375

 

Teacher! Leave Those Kids Alone…..

By | Fire & Environment Safety, Industry News

Remember those hot and humid days at school, where your eyelids felt heavy and you couldn’t concentrate. I used to blame it on the boring old teacher, or the fact it was such a lovely day outside. Well now we know different.  Hundreds of studies have investigated the effects of bad ventilation in classrooms and the effect on student school work performance.

sleeping kids
See link for more info. Lawrence Berkeley Lab

Most studies tend to concentrate on the CFM (cubic feet per minute) of the ventilation, or ACH (air changes per hour). But what are they changing out? What is being ventilated away from the students? Read More

GSP Detection and your workplace

By | Fire & Environment Safety

The Merlin GSP range of gas detection panels offer a level of flexibility rarely found in this size of unit and for this low expense. The GSP 4 will allow you to test for high ambient levels of four separate gas types in up to four zones or areas, that said, you can make the zones or areas fairly large by adding sensors of the same type in-line on the same circuit. The GSP 1 is an affordable way to check for one type of gas in one zone or area for instance CO2 in an IT Lab or CO in a factory space. Whatever gas you are checking for and whether you are protecting your staff or premises the GSP range of gas detection panels has everything you need in one easy to install unit.

Read More