THE only way to be sure that a portable gas detector is seeing gas is to carry out a bump test. A bump test is a quick process where a portable gas detector is exposed to a known concentration of gas to check its response.

When a device fails to alarm or takes longer than expected to alarm, it indicates a need to calibrate or service the device and ensures that it is capable of “seeing” gas and responding to it within pre-defined parameters.

An automatic solution to bump testing and calibration can help sites to ensure that equipment is always ready to protect, that the gas amounts are controlled for bump testing and that data can be auto logged and backed up, when a device is docked.

A device like MicroDock II from BW Technologies by Honeywell can help to simplify this process by providing bump testing in less than two minutes with the touch of a single button.

Designed to work with all of BW Technologies by Honeywell’s range of portable gas detectors, MicroDock II features a modular design that can be expanded to feature up to 10 docked units.

When combined with Fleet Manager II software, MicroDock II is able to provide additional aspects. These include the generation of calibration certificates and the automatic generation and dissemination of reports.

In fact, as the name might suggest, the resulting combination of MicroDock II and Fleet Manager II is highly advantageous for on-site fleet managers or third party service providers because it is able to greatly reduce the time spent undertaking tasks such as reporting, whilst giving full visibility of an entire fleet at the touch of a button. Fleet Manager II can also send reminders of a need for calibration to both operators and managers, helping to uphold site safety standards.