An alarm from a natural gas detector must be treated as a real incident until proven otherwise. Restarting without an inspection can be dangerous.
First action
Follow the facility's emergency procedure. Do not perform a reset before the area is evaluated and confirmed to be safe.
Verify actual concentration
Use an appropriate portable instrument where applicable to confirm if there is an actual presence of gas.
Potential leak
Check valves, flanges, connections, regulators, vent points, and other potential leak points.
False alarm
A sensor with expired calibration, contamination, humidity, or exposure to other substances may provide an incorrect reading. However, this should only be checked after a real leak has been ruled out.
Ventilation
Confirm that the intended ventilation is operating and that there are no dead zones where gas could accumulate.
Restarting
The facility should only be restarted once the cause has been identified, readings are safe, and protections have been restored.
