MSA ORION User manual

FIRE AND RESCUE NSW
RECOMMENDED PRACTICE
FOUR-HEAD GAS DETECTOR
MSA ORION
VERSION 02, ISSUED: FEBRUARY 2011, CID: 06553

© State of New South Wales through Fire and Rescue NSW, 2011.
This work may be freely reproduced and distributed for most purposes, however some restrictions apply. See the
General Copyright Notice on www.fire.nsw.gov.au or contact Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW).
This Recommended Practice contains information, data, documents, pages and images prepared by FRNSW for
training, occupational health and safety, and reference purposes. The material it contains may be incomplete,
inaccurate, or out of date. The State of NSW accepts no responsibility or liability in relation to the use of any
information contained in this document.
Published by:
Specialised Operations
Fire and Rescue NSW
Amarina Avenue
(Locked Bag 13)
Greenacre NSW 2190
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
Document Control:
Ve r s i o n A , J a n 2 0 0 5
Version 02, February 2011. (Comprehensive review, update contact details, revisions to troubleshooting and risk
management.)
Supply Catalogue CID:
06553
Acknowledgements:
Mine Safety Appliance Company
Senior Firefighter Daren Ellen
Station Officer Stuart Harvey
Station Officer Timothy Climo
Senior Firefighter Matt Dahlberg
Senior Firefighter Glenn Jackson
Senior Firefighter Andrew Johnson
Senior Firefighter Richard Neville
Filing:
NFB/08514
Working file located at Equipment Development Unit, Greenacre (filed by CI number)
This document rescinds:
Operations Bulletin 2008/07: Orion gas detector extension probe, Ver 01.
Recommended practice: Orion four-head gas detector, Ver A.
Has this document been printed or copied?
Check you have the most recent version by comparing the version number and the issue date on the footer with
those of the document on station portal on the Intranet. The online document is the master.
This document was produced using Adobe Framemaker™ version 8.0. It is intended for release as an electronic
PDF document for online viewing. It is formatted for double-sided printing on station printers. Copies are
available through the Electronic Supply Catalogue.

Four-Head Gas Detector: MSA Orion iii
D.I. Recommended Practice Version 02 Issued February 2011
FILE: W:\NB\RP HMRU\Orion\Frame Ver 02\OrionTOC.fm © Copyright State of NSW (Fire and Rescue NSW) 2011
CONTENTS
Using this Document v
Warnings, Cautions and Notes v
Electronic navigation v
Document control vi
Specific Equipment Warnings vii
Section 1 Introduction 1
1.1 Manual structure 1
1.2 General 1
1.3 Limitations 2
1.3.1 Intrinsic safety 3
1.4 Reading 3
1.5 Contact 3
Section 2 Equipment Fact Sheet 4
2.1 Kit contents 4
2.2 Main features 5
2.3 Control layout 6
2.3.1 The LCDs 6
2.3.2 Control buttons 8
2.4 Specifications 9
2.4.1 Calibration / challenge test gas specification 9
2.4.2 Orion specifications 9
2.4.3 Sensor specifications 10
2.5 Principles of operation 11
2.5.1 The Orion 11
2.5.2 Principles of calibration 11
2.5.3 Explosive limits 11
Section 3 Operations 12
3.1 Safety 12
3.1.1 Risk management 12
3.1.2 Protective clothing 13
3.2 Navigating LCD pages 14
3.3 Before operations 15
3.3.1 Assembling the wand 15
3.3.2 Turning on and pre-operational checks 16
3.3.3 Zero the Orion 17
3.3.4 Challenge test 18
3.3.5 Field calibration 20
3.3.6 Clearing peaks 21
3.3.7 Clearing STEL and TWA 22
3.3.8 Test the pump 23

iv Four-Head Gas Detector: MSA Orion
D.I. Recommended Practice Version 02 Issued February 2011
FILE: W:\NB\RP HMRU\Orion\Frame Ver 02\OrionTOC.fm © Copyright State of NSW (Fire and Rescue NSW) 2011
3.4 Operations 24
3.4.1 Operational hints 24
3.4.2 Heartbeat indicator 24
3.4.3 Alarms – general 24
3.4.4 Gas concentration alarms 25
3.4.5 Battery condition and alarm 26
3.4.6 Datalogging 27
3.5 Turning Off 27
Section 4 Maintenance 28
4.1 Maintenance schedule 28
4.2 After use 29
4.3 Changing batteries 29
4.4 Changing filters 31
4.4.1 External water stop 31
4.4.2 Dust filter 31
4.4.3 Internal water stop 32
4.5 Changing time and date 32
4.6 Downloading data 33
4.7 Troubleshooting 33
4.8 Resupply 34
4.8.1 Calibration gas 34
4.8.2 Other consumables 34
Appendix A Principles of Gas Detection 35
A.1 Short Term Exposure Limit 35
A.2 Time Weighted Average 36
A.3 Combustible gas sensor 36
A.4 Oxygen and toxic gas sensors 37
A.5 Orion sensor configuration 38
A.6 Orion LEL correlation factors 38
A.7 Cross sensitivity 40
A.8 Temperature class 40
Glossary 41
References 43
Index 44

Four-Head Gas Detector: MSA Orion v
D.I. Recommended Practice Version 02 Issued February 2011
FILE: W:\NB\RP HMRU\Orion\Frame Ver 02\How to Use.fm © Copyright State of NSW (Fire and Rescue NSW) 2011
USING THIS DOCUMENT
Warnings, Cautions and Notes
Throughout this manual, the reader will find statements titled: WA R N I NG,
CAUTION or NOTE. These consist of a short piece of information highlighting a
hazard or providing additional clarification, or both. Each of these statements has a
particular meaning, as follows:
WARNING
PERSONAL INJURY MAY RESULT if warnings are not carefully
heeded. Warnings give you precautions for avoiding injury. While the
emphasis of warnings is on avoiding injury, the situations described
may also involve damage to equipment.
CAUTION
EQUIPMENT MAY BE DAMAGED if these recommended
procedures are not carefully followed. Cautions tell you what to do
to avoid such damage. Personal injury is not expected.
NOTE
OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES are clarified. Neither personal
injury nor equipment damage is involved.
Electronic navigation
This document has been produced in PDF format. The electronic document has a
number of features which aid navigation.
• In the left frame of the
Acrobat Reader window are
bookmarks which replicate
the contents page. Click the
bookmark to go to that
heading.
• To expand a bookmark to a
list of subheadings, click the
‘ ’ beside the bookmark.
• In the body of the document
you will find cross references.
For instance: See ‘Electronic
navigation’, highlighted in
blue. Your cursor icon will change to a pointing finger when over a link. Click
these to go to the referenced section, table or figure.
Figure: Selecting bookmarks
+

vi Four-Head Gas Detector: MSA Orion
D.I. Recommended Practice Version 02 Issued February 2011
FILE: W:\NB\RP HMRU\Orion\Frame Ver 02\How to Use.fm © Copyright State of NSW (Fire and Rescue NSW) 2011
•Thecontentspagehaslivelinks to the referenced pages. Your cursor icon will
change to a pointing finger when over a link. Click the heading to go to that
page.
•Theindexisarrangedalphabetically and has live links to the source text. Your
cursor icon will change to a pointing finger when over a link. Click the page
number to go to the text.
• To return to either the index or contents page, click any other bookmark, and
then click the index or contents bookmark.
Document control
This Recommended Practice is a Fire and Rescue NSW managed document. This
document will become uncontrolled if printed, saved, copied or emailed.
Wherever possible, users should refer to the Fire and Rescue NSW Intranet: Station
Portal for Recommended Practices.
NOTE
If this document has been printed, copied or emailed, check the
validity by confirming the version number and the issue date in the
footer with the those of the document on Station Portal on the
Intranet. Station Portal will always display the most recently
approved document.

Four-Head Gas Detector: MSA Orion vii
D.I. Recommended Practice Version 02 Issued February 2011
FILE: W:\NB\RP HMRU\Orion\Frame Ver 02\Equip Warnings.fm © Copyright State of NSW (Fire and Rescue NSW) 2011
SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT WARNINGS
This is a summary of important warnings and cautions regarding the
Orion four-head detector. It is not an exhaustive list of all the warnings
and cautions you will find as you read the recommended practice.
WARNING
Always wear breathing apparatus (BA) when there is any
possibility of a hazardous atmosphere.
WARNING
The Orion must only be used by personnel trained in its operation.
WARNING
Before use:
•zerotheOrion
• conduct challenge test
• clear peaks, TWA and STEL
• test the pump.
WARNING
The Orion can only detect and measure:
• combustible gases and certain combustible vapours
• oxygen concentration
• carbon monoxide
• hydrogen sulphide.
Do not attempt to measure other gases with the Orion.
WARNING
Changing batteries is not intrinsically safe. Do not change
batteries in a potentially flammable atmosphere.

viii Four-Head Gas Detector: MSA Orion
D.I. Recommended Practice Version 02 Issued February 2011
FILE: W:\NB\RP HMRU\Orion\Frame Ver 02\Equip Warnings.fm © Copyright State of NSW (Fire and Rescue NSW) 2011
This page has been intentionally left blank.

Four-Head Gas Detector: MSA Orion 1
D.I. Rec-ommended Practice Version 02 Issued February 2011
FILE: W:\NB\RP HMRU\Orion\Frame Ver 02\Orion.fm © Copyright State of NSW (Fire and Rescue NSW) 2011
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Manual structure
This manual consists of five sections:
Section 1: Introduction
Section 2: Equipment Fact Sheet
Section 3: Operations
Section 4: Maintenance
Appendix: Principles of Gas Detection
Index
1.2 General
This Recommended Practice instructs firefighters in the use of the Mine Safety
Appliances Company Orion four-head gas detector (Orion). For how you will use
the Orion at an incident, refer to your training material.
Figure 1 The Orion four-head gas detector
Sampling wandSampling hose
Orion, in
protective
rubber boot
Carry strap Attached
quick start
instructions

2Four-Head Gas Detector: MSA Orion
D.I. Recommended Practice Version 02 Issued February 2011
FILE: W:\NB\RP HMRU\Orion\Frame Ver 02\Orion.fm © Copyright State of NSW (Fire and Rescue NSW) 2011
WARNING
The Orion must only be used by people trained in its operation.
The Orion has a simple, two button operation. It is powered by three AA alkaline
cells. It features an automatic datalogging facility. The Orion uses four sensors to
detect:
• oxygen (O2) percentage in the atmosphere
• carbon monoxide (CO), in parts per million
• hydrogen sulphide (H2S), in parts per million
•combustiblegasesandsomecombustiblevapours as a percentage of the Lower
Explosive Limit (LEL).
The Orion continuously monitors these four conditions. The instrument alarms
when any one condition reaches preset alarm levels. These levels are given in Table
6: Gas concentration alarms, on page 25.
In addition, the oxygen concentration shown by the Orion can be used as an
indicator of other contaminants. See Section 3.4.1: ‘Operational hints’ on page 24
for more information.
Use the Orion when your dynamic risk assessment indicates one of the above
hazardous atmospheres might exist and that atmospheric monitoring is a suitable
control measure. Atmospheric monitoring is mandatory in confined spaces.This
monitoring helps determine:
• the hot zone boundary
•safeOHSlimitsfortheuseofrespiratory and personal protective equipment for
these hazards
• render safe.
Consider adequate fire protection.
If a toxic gas alarms sounds, notify the Incident Controller (IC) and continue
monitoring.
When operating in an ambient temperature above 40 oC and your 10% LEL alarm
sounds, stop your activity and reassess your dynamic risk assessment and incident
action plan. If required, exit and/or seek specialist advice from HMRU on the nature
of the contaminant.
When operating at any ambient temperature in an environment which may contain
carbon disulphide, exit the area if the 10% LEL alarm sounds.
See A.8: ‘Temperature class’, on page 40, for temperature classes of gases.
1.3 Limitations
The Orion indicates the presence of, but does not identify, combustible gases.
The Orion does not measure the toxicity of combustible gases.
Response time is 30 to 45 seconds.