There are many reasons for certifying gas detection monitoring and alarm systems for reliability. But the new force driving certification is the 1997 Uniform Fire Code section 8001.4.4 requirement for detection and alarm systems associated with the use, storage or handling of hazardous materials that have to be listed or approved. Add this new requirement to the facility owner's concern for the safety of personnel and the environment while minimizing costly 'nuisance trips,' and you have what may be the single most important development in monitoring 'fab' gases in recent years. [A nuisance trip is an unnecessary shutdown of a process or portion of a process because of an error in a sensor, control device or logic microprocessor. Fab gases are the gases used in a semiconductor manufacturing facility.] Gas detection systems can be very complex, requiring extensive knowledge to competently review for compliance with applicable codes and accepted standards. Certifying safety systems provides you the assurance that a system will meet these criteria.
Among the organizations publishing standards relating to gas detection systems are the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the International Society for Measurement and Control (ISA), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Factory Mutual (FM) and TUV.