A powerful natural gas explosion badly damaged a Maryland office complex and shopping center Sunday morning, ripping away part of the facade and exposing twisted metal.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the thundering blast, which occurred at about 8 a.m. It came after authorities said they had evacuated the area around the complex because of a suspected early morning gas leak near the complex in Columbia, Maryland.

Fire crews responded about an hour before the explosion because of a fire alarm that was upgraded to a report of a gas leak in the parking lot, officials said. When fire personnel arrived, they immediately evacuated everyone from the surrounding area and made sure the building was vacant. The subsequent explosion ripped away a significant part of the facade, scattering debris.

“It was so powerful it could be heard in communities many miles away,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball in a statement.

It’s true that some of the best teaching moments are when you make a mistake and learn from it. Please don’t let a gas leak be one of them moments. Take it from us and help take precautionary action. Pictured below is the AGS Mini Merlin, a combined natural gas & carbon monoxide monitor capable of shutting down the gas supply in the event of a gas leak therefore preventing a gas explosion from ever happening. The Mini Merlin has an audible & visual alarm indicating the live PPM levels of each gas and can be used to communicate with BMS/BAS systems as well as fire alarm panels & remote shut-off buttons.

If you are designing any Commercial Projects when a GAS pipe is entering the premises, we have the Safety systems to ensure the building and occupants are safe from any leaks. Please browse though our complete product range and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to make contact. info@americangassafety.com or (727)-608-4375.

For full news coverage please visit the following website – https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2019/08/25/early-morning-gas-explosion-rocks-columbia/

#familybusiness #futureofgassafety #gassafety #americangassafety #AGS

INTRODUCING THE MERLIN SINGLE FAN SWITCH

American Gas Safety have released the ultimate micro controller based single fan switch to automatically switch fans ON and OFF.

The panel features selectable power off delays to allow residual heat to dissipate and a manual override switch.
The FS1 has been designed to work together with the Merlin range of utility systems to add extra functionality and provide simplicity to the user.

If you have a project which could benefit from using the AGS FS1 & Utility Controllers, contact American Gas Safety – info@americangassafety.com / 727-608-4375

#familybusiness #futureofgassafety #gassafety #americangassafety #AGS #utilitycontrol #fancontrol

AGS continues to manufacture products to the highest industry standards. Our Factory is now certified to ISO9001:2015. The Scope of the certification includes: The design, manufacture and supply of gas safety systems, including gas pressure proving, detection and ventilation interlocks.

To meet the ISO 9001 we had to cut down on our carbon footprint, so all the polystyrene has been removed from our packaging. A picture below shows our new look Merlin boxes.

Our factory continues to have quarterly visits from a UL representative, to ensure we are manufacturing to the requirements of our UL Certification.

As you can see we are making all the necessary step to ensure the controllers you receive are manufactured to the highest standards available. You can rest assure you are receiving or specifying the best Gas Safety System on the market! If you need copies of our UL or ISO certificates please do not hesitate to ask info@americangassafety.com

#familybusiness #futureofgassafety #gassafety #americangassafety #AGS #ULapproved

Fifty-two people and one dog were evacuated from a Super 8 motel in Winnipeg Tuesday morning after a carbon monoxide (CO) leak was detected in the building.

46 people were taken to hospital for CO exposure, 15 considered to be in critical condition. Everyone had been discharged from hospital as of Wednesday.

“Today’s incident at a Winnipeg hotel was not a gas leak. It was a carbon monoxide poisoning,” Manitoba Hydro tweeted. “CO is produced by the incomplete combustion/ventilation of gas stoves, heating boilers, furnaces, propane barbecues, gas-powered water heaters & clothes dryers.”

While natural gas has a rotten egg smell that helps with detection, carbon monoxide is odorless. For it to be detected, a carbon monoxide alarm is required which is why you need a CO alarm in your home and business. The initial symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are flu-like, but without a fever. They may include dull headache, weakness, dizziness and nausea. High-level poisoning can result in vomiting, shortness of breath, confusion, blurred vision and loss of consciousness.

The fire service crews detected carbon monoxide throughout the hotel with levels up to 385 parts per million. Normal levels are 0-2 parts per million, according to a bulletin from the Fire Commissioner’s Office of Manitoba. The bulletin notes that exposure between 200 and 400 parts per million can lead to slight headaches, fatigue, dizziness and nausea after two to three hours.

Each year 400 deaths and 20,000 visits to the emergency room are caused by CO poisoning?
Is your boiler room, building and people protected from the silent killer carbon monoxide?

Looking for a cost effective & easy to install life saving product? Use our AGS Mini Merlin.

The Mini Merlin is a dual gas sensor carefully designed and tested to monitor Natural Gas – Methane (CH4) and Carbon Monoxide (CO) in the air. If there is a dangerous build-up of gas or unsafe levels of carbon monoxide at the sensor, this device can shut off the gas supply via a gas safety valve and/or a gas fire appliance.

This device has additional features for resetting systems, as well as audible and visual alarms – it can also be integrated with a Building Management System (BMS) and is readily available for purchase from our Florida warehouse & across North America thru our man reps.

Example installations are below:

Commercial Boilerhouse

Residential Boilerhouse

For further information on our Mini Merlin refer to our datasheets or alternatively contact our offices today. Info@americangassafety.com / (727)-608-4375

Full details of the news coverage can be found on the following link – https://winnipegsun.com/news/local-news/forty-six-people-to-hospital-after-suspected-carbon-monoxide-leak-at-hotel

Did you know each year 400 deaths and 20,000 visits to the emergency room are caused by CO poisoning?
Is your boiler room, building and people protected from the silent killer carbon monoxide?

Looking for a cost effective & easy to install life saving product? Use our AGS Mini Merlin.

The Mini Merlin is a dual gas sensor carefully designed and tested to monitor Natural Gas – Methane (CH4) and Carbon Monoxide (CO) in the air. If there is a dangerous build-up of gas or unsafe levels of carbon monoxide at the sensor, this device can shut off the gas supply via a gas safety valve and/or a gas fire appliance.

This device has additional features for resetting systems, as well as audible and visual alarms – it can also be integrated with a Building Management System (BMS) and is readily available for purchase from our Florida warehouse & across North America thru our man reps.

Example installations are below:

Commercial Boilerhouse

Residential Boilerhouse

For further information on our Mini Merlin refer to our datasheets or alternatively contact our offices today. Info@americangassafety.com / (727)-608-4375

It’s true that some of the best teaching moments are when you make a mistake and learn from it. Please don’t let a gas leak be one of them moments. AGS can help prevent an accident from ever happening. Take it from us and help take precautionary action. Please get in touch for your local representative or visit our website www.americangassafety.com 

If you are designing any Commercial Projects when a GAS pipe is entering the premises, we have the Safety systems to ensure the building and occupants are safe from any leaks. Please browse though our complete product range and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to make contact. info@americangassafety.com or (727)-608-4375.

#familybusiness #futureofgassafety #gassafety #americangassafety #AGS

2018 promised and excelled to be the best year yet over at the ASPE EXPO in Atlanta. We were literally rushed off our feet from start to finish and would like to thank everyone who attended our booth.

We had a number of engineers very impressed with the simple installation and the versatility of our product range. Our Merlin range can be used for all types of applications not just Labs, such as Mechanical Rooms, Fire Pits, Commercial Kitchens, Gas BBQ’s,  Fire Houses etc.

We also had the chance to promote our new and improved Gas Detectors with a complete revamp design that is not only modern but also provides a quick installation & a TFT screen user interface (pictured above). The new TFT gas detectors can be used in various different applications such as boiler rooms, science labs, commercial kitchens & many more! A main improvement on our new detectors is that they give the user the ability to physically view the ppm levels of the gas being detected without having to rely on handheld equipment.

If you are designing any Commercial Projects when a GAS pipe is entering the premises, we have the Safety systems to ensure the building and occupants are safe from any leaks. Please browse though our complete product range and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to make contact. info@americangassafety.com or (727)-608-4375.

#familybusiness #futureofgassafety #gassafety #americangassafety #aspeexpo2018

For a family business, more than any other, values are the connective tissue the source of your success, your commitment, and your longevity. They bring power to a business, helping to assure you resolve any conflicts and strengthen operations through the natural act of passing down a legacy. When AGS first started, myself and parents wanted to ensure that our family values spread throughout our representatives.

When identifying the perfect fit for us we had no idea just how many family business we would bring on board. 90% of our reps are family businesses and we consider them the driving force of our future.

The success of the business will ensure the future of the next generation. Below is a pic of our CEO Steve, Vice President Sue and my 3 month old daughter Brontë.

#nextgeneration #familybusiness #futureofgassafety #gassafety