LOX (Low OXygen) fills the protected room with air where the oxygen concentration is lower than usual and it prevents fires from occurring. But is it safe to stay in the room?
What exactly applies to working in rooms where the oxygen level is reduced?
LOX is currently used in many large installations where people stay and work as normal and there are potentially many advantages and a lot to save by choosing a LOX system for fire prevention, but some are unsure whether it can be harmful to health to work in rooms where the oxygen level is reduced and therefore hesitate to consider it when designing fire protection.
For more than a hundred years, research and investigation have been carried out on the effects of being in low-oxygen air on humans. And even though it can be dangerous to stay in “very thin air” for a long time, research shows that there is no basis for generally excluding someone from working at high altitude or in rooms where the oxygen conditions correspond to high altitude.
On the contrary, as long as you stay within what is called risk class 1 or 2 (up to 2700 meters altitude or 14.8% oxygen), there are no special risks associated with normal working in rooms with reduced oxygen levels
• Over 17% oxygen is considered to be completely risk-free for everyone.• Down to 14.8% oxygen is considered to be completely risk-free for everyone except for people with severe heart and lung diseases.• There are no special recommendations for children or pregnant women.
People with severe heart or lung disease are also not necessarily excluded from staying at high altitude – however, it is recommended that their reaction is tested under controlled conditions before any stays at altitude, so that they can be excluded if necessary.
Some people may feel discomfort the first few times they are in a room with reduced oxygen levels, but all research shows that this goes away as soon as you leave the room and the effect is not permanent or harmful.
Below 14.8% oxygen and further down can be harmful to health and requires more follow-up and knowledge, but concentrations at this level are not necessary to prevent fires from occurring in the vast majority of materials.
How can you be sure that LOX is a safe solution?
From September 2017, there is a European standard for fire protection solutions using reduced oxygen – EN 16750 – the Nordic countries are obliged to accept this as their national standard – without changes. This means that this standard is applicable in the Nordic countries from March 2018 at the latest.
The standard specifies the minimum requirements and defines the specifications for the design, installation, and maintenance of permanent oxygen reduction systems. It applies to systems where nitrogen is used to replace the oxygen in the air. (LOX – LowOXygen system)
In addition to the technical requirements, the standard specifies procedures for instructing personnel in connection with stays in LOX rooms and provides guidelines for what measures are required in connection with security.
For those who are going to implement a LOX system, the standard is a very good tool. It provides clear instructions on what is required of the various elements included in the solution.
We recommend seeing the standard in the context of the recently updated recommendation from UIAA (THE INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAINEERING AND CLIMBING FEDERATION) for stays at high altitudes.
In addition, research has been conducted in Sweden to determine whether cognitive abilities are impaired by working in an environment with about 15% oxygen. The conclusion from the research is that no effect can be seen from such a reduction.
Du finner mer informasjon her:Rapport nr 2/2013. Undersökning av den kognitiva förmågan vid arbete i syrereducerad miljö vid Forsmarks kärnkraftverk. Åsa Stöllman. Thomas Höljö.RECOMMENDATION OF THE UIAA MEDICAL COMMISSION VOL: 15. Work in Hypoxic Conditions Including work in low oxygen facilities and work at high altitude. Intended for Physicians, Occupational Health and Safety Advisors, Interested Non-medical Persons.http://www.theuiaa.org/documents/mountainmedicine/English_UIAA-MedCom-Rec-No-15-Work-in-Hypoxic-Conditions-2012-V2-15.pdf
Europeisk standard EN 16750:2017 Fixed firefighting systems – Oxygen reduction systems – Design, installation, planning and maintenance.
How does it work
Normal air consists of 79% nitrogen and about 20% oxygen (the rest are so-called noble gases). It is the amount of oxygen that determines whether fires can occur and develop further. In a LOX system, so much of the oxygen in the air is removed that fire can no longer occur, and thus the room and contents are protected from fire.
What is required and where does it fit
It is important that the room to be protected is reasonably airtight, so that the oxygen-reduced air does not simply disappear. In addition to the actual air production facilities, only simple installations of air pipes and oxygen level sensors are required. For example, the system works well with closed systems for balanced ventilation.
LOX is ideal in• Data rooms/data centers• Cold storage/cold storage• Li-ion battery storage• Archives/museums• Cellulose storage• Storage for hazardous substances
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