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Could Your Business Benefit From Safety Pattern Pressure Gauges?

As an industry manager, the safety of your personnel is a top concern. Aside from common issues like the proper safety gear to use and safe work practices like extensive training and accountability, one of the biggest risks in any industrial setting is the equipment being used on a daily basis. Not only do employees need to know how to safely operate and maintain each piece of equipment, but the equipment itself must often be outfitted with mechanisms like pressure gauges to ensure safe operation. 

Though you undoubtedly are familiar with the workings of the equipment used in your work setting, you may not know that pressure gauges are not all created equal. Some gauges may work just fine across a variety of industries, but if you work in a particularly specialized or dangerous industry (like chemical waste disposal or mining), then you may need to invest in a sturdier type of pressure gauge with additional safety features that most normal gauges don't possess. These types of gauges are known as safety pattern pressure gauges. Knowing what extra features these gauges provide will help you understand if your business could benefit from using them with your equipment.

Durable Gauge Windows

Most safety pattern pressure gauges will come with the option of either laminated safety glass or a window made of Perspex. Both of these options will provide resistance to splinters if the window does happen to break, but this is unlikely due to the special nature of the gauge's construction. This prevents personnel from having to worry about the risk of shards of glass flying out and injuring them or damaging equipment.

Precautions for Overpressure and Other Types of Damage

Although safety pattern pressure gauges are typically only available as analog gauges rather than digital gauges, this design allows them to contain unique safety mechanisms that digital gauges aren't built for. Safety pattern pressure gauges include a solid baffle wall behind the dial for extra protection as well as a blowout wall in the back that will eject if the pressure becomes too high, thus allowing the pressure to exhaust out of the back of the gauge rather than exploding out through the window and presenting a dangerous safety hazard.

These gauges are normally also constructed out of a strong stainless steel material, although brass or bronze is also available depending on your budget and needs.

Extra Options for Safety Pattern Pressure Gauges

These types of gauges can also come with a wide variety of extra options; some provide extra durability or safety measures, while others are merely cosmetic. These extras can include things like:

  • A customized company logo on the gauge to help identify ownership in the case of theft
  • A pointer that is micro-adjustable to allow for even greater levels of precision when measuring or calibrating
  • Dial markings customized for your specific industry to make measuring easier 

While these extra options may hike up the cost of the gauges, some of them may be worth the increase in price to provide additional security and ease of use.

Increased Safety for High-Risk Industries

Safety pattern pressure gauges may not be ideal for every type of industry, especially those where the risk of extremely high pressure or other hazards is low. But if you operate in industries that do experience such risks commonly (such as offshore oil rigs, power stations, or hazardous chemicals), then safety pattern pressure gauges are a wise investment.

Reach out to pressure gauge suppliers in your area if you have any more questions about what types of pressure gauges would be best for your specific industry.


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