We are proud to announce the successful conversion and certification from ISO 9001:2008 to the newly revised standard, ISO 9001:2015.

ISO 9001 is the world’s most widely recognized quality management standard and helps organizations to meet the expectations and needs of their customers through continual improvement and quality standards. The ISO 9001:2015 certification process included a thorough audit of our business processes as well as the quality processes in manufacturing our products. By achieving this new level of certification we continue to demonstrate our dedication to the continual improvement of our products and services as a world leader in gas detection for the protection of life and property.

This certification further strengthens our commitment to our customers and our company Quality Policy:

“GfG Instrumentation is a world leader in gas detection for the protection of life and property. We are committed to meeting and exceeding the needs of our customer’s requirements, delivering the highest quality products and best customer service in the industry. We are dedicated to the continual improvement of our products and services by focusing on the satisfaction of our customers, and the effectiveness of our Quality Management System.”

2018 Schedule of GfG Instrumentation Trade Shows & Events

We are pleased to announce the new appointment of Brinson Jones, Southeastern Regional Zone Manager for GfG Instrumentation.

Brinson grew up in Peachtree City, GA and currently lives in Senoia, GA with his wife, Vanessa and 4 children. After graduating from Georgia State University, he started his career in construction sales working for Hilti North America selling construction tools and fasteners. Then Brinson moved to Capital Safety, selling engineered fall protection systems. Brinson’s most recent role was at PPG, leading the Georgia Stores Region in a highly competitive coatings market. Brinson enjoys developing relationships and listening to what is important to his customers to offer the right solution.

Brinson’s contact information follows:

Brinson Jones
Cell: (770) 807-9990
Fax: (734) 769-1888
E-mail: bjones@goodforgas.com

We would like to congratulate Bill Zachowicz, of the Sullivan Group, on his recent retirement from 23+ years in the industry.

We are also excited to announce the addition of Frank Pingtella Jr. to our Rep Group sales team.  Frank will be covering the upstate New York region.  Frank has over 33 years of sales experience in the safety industry, including both the distribution and manufacturing side of the business.  He is a motivated professional with a strong technical background and will be a great addition to our team.

We believe the GfG team is the strongest it’s ever been and we’re looking forward to upcoming successful results. 

GfG Instrumentation has just released a Portuguese version of the G450 Basic Training Video. It has been posted on the GfG business You Tube channel. It covers basic operation and usage of the GfG G450 multi-gas detector. To view it, click on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8koPvVZBjns

It is available on our website’s “Support” tab under the “Training Videos” and under the “Multilingual Support Materials” or by clicking on this link: https://goodforgas.com/support/

The latest DS-400 / DS-404 docking station report/certificate generators are now available in Spanish.

You can find the new generators on www.goodforgas.com under the product pages listed in the links below.  Once there, select the “Certificate & Report Generator” tab and click on the buttons to download the .zip files:

https://goodforgas.com/product/ds400-docking-station/

https://goodforgas.com/product/ds404-multi-inlet-docking-station/

We have just released a Spanish version of the GfG Fixed Systems Application Questionnaire. This questionnaire is vitally important in the determination of application needs, usage and instruments needed to fulfill customer requirements.

It is available on the “Support” tab under the “Multilingual Support Materials” or by clicking on this link:       Multilingual Support Materials

We are pleased to announce the new appointment of Ellen Biros, Controller for GfG Instrumentation. Ellen will have management responsibility for all accounting services for GfG Instrumentation.

Ellen Biros grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan and after graduating from Calvin College, started her career in the accounting industry working for a certified public accountant, Marten R. Vegter, C.P.A., in Tecumseh, Michigan. Then Ellen moved to private accounting at Ramchargers who sold performance automotive parts. Ellen’s most recent role was at Livernois Motorsports & Engineering, leading the accounting department.  Ellen thrives on giving information and knowing that information is being used to help the company make better decisions to grow and thrive.

GfG Instrumentation is pleased to announce the G450, G460 multi-gas detectors and the G400 MP-2 motorized smart pump have received INMETRO certification for sale in Brazil.  INMETRO (Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality) is the government body responsible for the implementation of measurement, safety and quality standards for electrical and electronic products in Brazil. It guides the activities of accreditation, inspection, testing and certification bodies in the country. This newest certification adds to the long list of approvals and certifications carried by these products, including _CCSA_US, IECex, ATEX, MSHA, SABS (South African Mining Board), and others. GfG is committed to deliver the best value and to deliver the highest quality products to our customers around the globe.

New USB Drivers Feature “Auto-install”:

GfG’s commitment to provide our customers with the latest advancements in technology is evident with our newly released USB drivers. The drivers allow communication between a PC and GfG gas detectors or accessories. Simply connect a GfG docking station or test station to your PC using the USB cable and the drivers will automatically* install for that device. Customers will appreciate the fast and simple “auto-install” over the previous manual installation method.

The drivers are available under the G450, G460, Micro IV, DS400, DS404, TS400, DI220 and DS220 product pages under the “Software” tab or by clicking on this link:  USB-DRIVER

*Active connection to the internet is needed or GfG CD-ROM inserted. Drivers are also available for download from the products Software tab at: https://goodforgas.com/product-category/portables/

GfG Instrumentation is pleased to announce the G450 multi-gas detector and G400 MP-2 motorized smart pump have completed MSHA approval.  The approval extends to both the alkaline and rechargeable versions of these products.  Federal regulations require MSHA approval for gas detectors used in gassy underground mines and other regulated sites.  Several states have similar requirements for gas detectors used in tunnel and underground construction projects.  The approval is based on rigorous design review and performance testing conducted at the MSHA Approval and Certification Center.  The MSHA approval process is recognized as one of the world’s most demanding gas detection product evaluations.  GfG is committed to delivering the highest quality products to our customers around the globe.  GfG is happy to add MSHA approval to the long list of other certifications, listings and approvals carried by the G450.

We have updated the DS-400 / DS-404 docking station report generators.  The updated generators work with the latest version of Internet Explorer. 

You can find the new generators on www.goodforgas.com under the product pages listed in the links below.  Once there, select the “Certificate & Report Generator” tab and click on the buttons to download the .zip files:

https://goodforgas.com/product/ds400-docking-station/

https://goodforgas.com/product/ds404-multi-inlet-docking-station/

The Microsoft Windows 10 Driver Installation Instructions are now available for use with the G450 and G460 multi-gas detectors, Micro IV single gas detector and the DS400/DS404 docking stations. Available under all five of these product pages under the “Software” tab or by clicking on this link:       MS Windows 10 Driver Install Instructions

The February issue of OH&S (Occupational Health and Safety) Magazine featured our own Bob Henderson as author of an article entitled, “Infrared Sensors Shine a New Light on LEL Combustible Gas Measurement”. It is an excellent and very engaging piece from Mr. Henderson.

To view the article from the OH&S website, you may click on the link below.

https://ohsonline.com/Articles/2016/02/01/Infrared-Sensors-Shine-a-New-Light-on-LEL-Combustible-Gas-Measurement.aspx

In our commitment to continuously improve our products, GfG is pleased to announce an update for the DS404 Multi-inlet Docking Station that provides an improved PID sensor calibration, along with some additional operational improvements. You can find the DS404 Firmware Update under the DS404 product page as the last item on the software tab.

You can update firmware at the following link:  DS404 Product Page

GfG Instrumentation sponsors the ISHN e-book on the new OSHA’s Confined Spaces in Construction Standard.

In May of 2015, OSHA published its long-awaited final rule on safety requirements for confined spaces in the construction industry. In July, OSHA announced a 60-day temporary enforcement policy for the new rules, postponing full enforcement of the new standard to October 2, 2015, in response to requests for additional time to train and acquire the equipment necessary to comply with the new standard.

This eBook is a valuable asset in reviewing OSHA’s new standard and understanding the differences between how OSHA regulates confined spaces in general industry versus the construction industry.

You can view the e-book at the following link:  DS404

Announcing the release of the “full version” of the Data Download Program for the G450 and G460 multi-gas detectors. Available under both the G450 and G460 product pages under the “Software” tab or by clicking on this link: G450DDS

System requirements:

Computer – Any Pentium or equivalent with Windows 2000 or later with one available USB port.

GfG Hardware – Charging cradle and G400 data cable (distributed with GfG data download kit for G400).

We are proud to announce that GfG Instrumentation has been awarded the Advertising Excellence Award for the GfG ad which appeared in the March 2015 issue of ISHN Magazine featuring our Multi-gas monitors. The award and the ad can be seen here: Advertising Excellence Award

GfG Instrumentation, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of a new Internet browser based Data Viewer application for Micro IV instruments. The Data Viewer allows you to generate graphs and tables of interval-by-interval monitoring results for records downloaded from Micro IV instruments. Tools in the new software allow you to identify and highlight exceedances above the Peak, STEL or TWA limits, as well as re-assign the limits used to evaluate the data. The application provides tables and graphs of the actual reading, as well as STEL and TWA exposure. The application additionally allows you to print or store the results, or cut and paste the information into Excel or Word documents.

A .zip file that contains the new GfG Data Viewer application is posted on www.goodforgas.com

The link for the Micro IV Data Viewer is: Micro IV data viewer

The instructions for downloading and using the GfG Data Viewer are posted in a .zip file at the same link. The Data Viewer is not a large application, but the zipped folder includes an .exe file. Make sure your firewall settings permit you to download executable files before attempting to download and install the application.

The new Data Viewer is browser based. You can use any Windows based Internet browser, including Internet Explorer, Chrome and Firefox.

All you need to do to install the Data Viewer is open the .zip file, and drag the folder that contains the application onto your desktop or desired directory. Make sure to transfer the complete folder. The application will require the other files in the sub-folder to work.

Requirements:

1. The Micro IV instrument needs to be set up so that the logged information is formatted for later use by the data viewer application. Make sure that the datalogger “Interval” is set to 1 minute.

Using another interval does not affect the real-time readings, or the PEAK, STEL and TWA calculations that are used to generate alarms. However, the tables and graphs generated by the data viewer must be based on a 1 minute interval.

2. Download the monitoring results in the usual way. Use the “Micro IV Configuration” software that you always use to download the data file. The native form of the downloaded file is a .csv extension. Use the “File name” and name the file using the .txt file extension.

3. Open the data viewer and “browse” to the .txt file of interest. Double click on the file and you are in business! When you open the .txt file you will begin with a table showing all of the readings and calculations for the first monitoring session in the file.

4. Turning the instrument on initiates a monitoring session. Turning the instrument off terminates the session. The information in session 01 is the first (oldest) monitoring session in the datalogger memory. The more time the instrument has been turned on and turned off, the more sessions that you will see in the table. Remember that when you turn the instrument off you are terminating the TWA and STEL calculations. If you don’t want to reset the calculations, leave the instrument turned on.

5. Data presentation

Longer sessions have longer tables. Any interval where the concentration exceeds the alarm will be highlighted in red.  At the top of the table we show the type of sensor, the measurement units for that gas, and the alarm concentrations used by the data viewer to flag exceedances. For toxic gases we show 3 graphs, the actual interval by interval concentration, the STEL and the TWA. Until the session has lasted 15 minutes, the STEL is a projected 15 minute TWA. Once the session has lasted 15 minutes or longer, the STEL calculation is based on the most recent 15 intervals (minutes) of exposure. Similarly, for sessions less than 8 hours in duration the TWA is projected over a full 8 hour period.  Once the session has lasted longer than 8 hours, the TWA calculation is based on the most recent 8 hours of exposure.

For O₂ we only show a single graph of the actual interval by interval logged concentrations.

When you position the cursor over a graph a popup box will show the type of gas, type of calculation, time stamp and actual value recorded for that interval.

As you scroll to the bottom of the table you will several buttons you can use to navigate through the data viewer information.  You can also open the graph or table that is currently selected in a new window.  Once the graph is open in a new window you can zoom the image to view the information in greater detail, or you can print or save the graph as a .pdf, .png, .gif or .bmp file.

Similarly, you can print the table, or highlight the desired cells in order to cut and paste the table into an Excel spreadsheet or Word document.

In the “Session Menu for Tables and Graphs” you can click on (and generate a table) for one session at a time, or you can show all the sessions in the form of a single table.  Clicking on one the individual gases shows the graphs for that gas for the session specified, as well as the table for that session.

At the very bottom of the page are the alarm settings currently being used by the data viewer to flag exceedances.  Changing the alarm settings resets the exceedances (flagged in red) that are highlighted in the table.

6. Other options for the downloaded information:

It is extremely easy to highlight the cells in a data viewer table, and paste them into an Excel spreadsheet.  There are no conversions or “save as” steps to this. It’s simple cut and paste. Once you are in Excel you have the full range of tools for data presentation.

Please let us know if you have any remaining questions about the Micro IV software.

Yours sincerely,

Bob Henderson
President
GfG Instrumentation, Inc.

Mobile: +1-734-355-1291

GfG Instrumentation, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of a new Internet browser based Data Viewer application for G450 and G460 instruments. The Data Viewer allows you to generate graphs and tables of interval-by-interval monitoring results for records downloaded from G450 and G460 instruments. Tools in the new software allow you to identify and highlight exceedences above the Peak, STEL or TWA limits, as well as re-assign the limits used to evaluate the data. The application provides tables and graphs of the actual reading, as well as STEL and TWA exposure. The application additionally allows you to print or store the results, or cut and paste the information into Excel or Word documents.

A .zip file that contains the new GfG Data Viewer application is posted on www.goodforgas.com Although it’s exactly the same software for the G450 and the G460, there is a separate link from the “software” section for each product. The link from the G460 software section is: https://goodforgas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/DDS_G450-G460_v4395.zip

The instructions for downloading and using the GfG Data Viewer are posted in a .zip file at the same link. The Data Viewer is not a large application, but the zipped folder includes a .exe file. Make sure your firewall settings permit you to download executable files before attempting to download and install the application.

The new Data Viewer is browser based. You can use any Windows based Internet browser, including Internet Explorer, Chrome and Firefox.

All you need to do to install the Data Viewer is open the .zip file, and drag the folder that contains the application onto your desktop or desired directory. Make sure to transfer the complete folder. The application needs the other files in the sub-folder to work.

The folder includes a number of data files you can use to try out the program.

Requirements:

1. The G450 / G460 instrument needs to be set up so that the logged information is formatted for later use by the data viewer application. Make sure that the datalogger “Interval” is set to 1 minute, and that the datalogger “Mode” is set to “Average”.

Using another interval does not affect the real-time readings, or the PEAK, STEL and TWA calculations that are used to generate alarms (and which you can look at while the instrument is in normal operation). However, the tables and graphs generated by the data viewer must be based on a 1 minute interval.

2. In the same menu used to set the datalogging interval, choose “Average” for the value that is logged for the purposes of generating downloaded reports.

Changing the datalogging “Mode” to “Average” has no effect on the real-time values used by the instrument to generate alarms, or the Peak, STEL and TWA values that you can see by using the push-buttons while the instrument is turned on. It only affects the interval by interval values stored by the instrument for the purposes of downloading later.

If you choose “Peak” for the datalogging mode, the highest instantaneous concentration registered by the instrument at any time during the interval is used as the value for the whole interval. In other words, if the instrument registers 10 ppm H2S for even a second during a one minute interval, the downloaded report shows that the concentration for the entire interval was 10 ppm, (even if it was actually 0 ppm for the other 59 seconds). While this is a very conservative approach, it can skew later calculations based on the downloaded results. If you choose the “Instant” mode the instrument uses a single value recorded during the interval as the representative value for the whole interval. Since STEL and TWA calculations are time-history calculations based on 15-minute and 8-hour exposure, using the “Average” mode ensures that the STEL and TWA calculations match the regulatory definitions.

3. Download the monitoring results in the usual way. Use the “Microtector II” interface software that you always use to open the data file. The native form of the downloaded file is a .gdf extension. Use the Microtector II software to “save as” a .txt file.

4. Open the data viewer and “browse” to the .txt file of interest. Double click on the file and you are in business! When you open the .txt file you will begin with a table showing all of the readings and calculations for the first monitoring session in the file.

5. Turning the instrument on initiates a monitoring session. Turning the instrument off terminates the session. The information in session 01 is the first (oldest) monitoring session in the datalogger memory. The more time the instrument has been turned on and turned off, the more sessions that you will see in the table. Remember that when you turn the instrument off you are terminating the TWA and STEL calculations. If you don’t want to reset the calculations, leave the instrument turned on.

6. Data presentation

Longer sessions have longer tables. Any interval where the concentration exceeds the alarm will be highlighted in red. Intervals where the instrument is being turned on, being zeroed or being span calibrated are identified by an “event” message. (The values are logged as 0 for intervals when the instrument is not in normal operation because it is being calibrated.) At the top of the table we show the type of sensor, the measurement units for that gas, and the alarm concentrations used by the data viewer to flag exceedences. In the case of PID and LEL sensors, the gas you have selected from the on-board library of response curves for that sensor will be indicated in the table. Thus, for the PID in the above example the measured gas is C4H8 (isobutylene), and the unit of measurement is ppm. For the combustible sensor the measured gas is CH4, and the unit of measurement in %LEL.

For toxic gases we show 3 graphs, the actual interval by interval concentration, the STEL and the TWA. Until the session has lasted 15 minutes, the STEL is a projected 15 minute TWA. Once the session has lasted 15 minutes or longer, the STEL calculation is based on the most recent 15 intervals (minutes) of exposure. Similarly, for sessions less than 8 hours in duration the TWA is projected over a full 8 hour period. Once the session has lasted longer than 8 hours, the TWA calculation is based on the most recent 8 hours of exposure.

For O2 and LEL we only show a single graph of the actual interval by interval logged concentrations.

When you position the curser over a graph a popup box will show the type of gas, type of calculation, timestamp and actual value recorded for that interval.

As you scroll to the bottom of the table you will several buttons you can use to navigate through the data viewer information. You can also open the graph or table that is currently selected in a new window. Once the graph is open in a new window you can zoom the image to view the information in greater detail, or you can print or save the graph as a .pdf, .png, .gif or .bmp file.

Similarly, you can print the table, or highlight the desired cells in order to cut and paste the table into an Excel spreadsheet or Word document.

In the “Session Menu for Tables and Graphs” you can click on (and generate a table) for one session at a time, or you can show all the sessions in the form of a single table. Clicking on one the individual gases shows the graphs for that gas for the session specified, as well as the table for that session.

At the very bottom of the page are the alarm settings currently being used by the data viewer to flag exceedences. Changing the alarm settings resets the exceedences (flagged in red) that are highlighted in the table.

7. Other options for the downloaded information:

It is extremely easy to highlight the cells in a data viewer table, and paste them into an Excel spreadsheet. There are no conversions or “save as” steps to this. It’s simple cut and paste. Once you are in Excel you have the full range of tools for data presentation.

8. Other really good news:

Right now the data viewer only works with G450 and G460 downloads. However, we are in the process of adding Micro IV downloads to the types of files the data viewer can handle.

Please let us know if you have any remaining questions about the Micro IV software. We will be sure to let you know as soon as we release the version of the data-viewer software that allows you to look at Micro IV records as well as G450 and G460 records.

Yours sincerely,

Bob Henderson
President
GfG Instrumentation, Inc.

Mobile: +1-734-355-1291

The latest release of the DS400 Certificate and Report Generator software is now available for download and it includes a number of significant improvements. The new software is now browser based instead of requiring a macro. It is compatible with your choice of browser including Internet Explorer, Chrome and Firefox.

To download the Certificate and Report Generator software, select “Portable Accessories” from the “Products” tab on our website, then click on the DS400 Docking Station image, the last tab on that page is “Certificate and Report Generator” and from there the updated certificate and report generators can be downloaded.

Originally held on October 16, 2013 Robert E Henderson, President of GfG Instrumentation, Inc. sponsored and presented a webinar titled “Questions, Myths & Misconceptions About Using Photoionization Detectors”.
The webinar was hosted by Industrial Safety & Health News (ISHN).

Overview: Solvent, fuel and other VOC vapors are pervasively common in many workplace environments. Increased awareness of the toxicity has led to lowered exposure limits, and increased requirements for direct measurement of these dangerous contaminants. Photoionization detector (PID) equipped instruments are increasingly viewed as the best choice for measurement of VOCs at exposure limit concentrations. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding when it comes to this important monitoring technology. Understanding the capabilities as well as the limitations of photoionization detectors is critical to interpreting test results and making decisions based on the use of this important atmospheric monitoring technology.

Click Here to view the Webinar

Originally held on May 15, 2013 Robert E Henderson, President of GfG Instrumentation, Inc. sponsored and presented a webinar titled “Sounding the Alarm on Toxic Gas Measurement: Capabilities, limitations and strategies for using portable toxic gas instruments”.
The webinar was hosted by Industrial Safety & Health News (ISHN).

Overview: Recently lowered exposure limits for a number of important toxic gases, including H2S, SO2 and NO2, have forced many instrument users to revisit where to set the alarms in their atmospheric monitors. The electrochemical and PID sensors used to measure toxic gases in portable instruments are accurate, dependable, and can last for years in normal operation; but as good as they are, they have limitations as well as capabilities. It’s critical to understand what these life safetydevices are able to accurately detect, what they can’t detect, and where to set the alarms in order to ensure worker safety and conform with regulatory requirements.

Click Here to view the Webinar

Originally held on April 12, 2011 Robert E Henderson, President of GfG Instrumentation, Inc. sponsored and presented a webinar titled “Myths & Misconceptions: The Common Mistakes People Make When Using Their Gas Detectors”.
The webinar was hosted by Industrial Safety & Health News (ISHN).

Overview: The LEL, O2, CO and H2S sensors in single and multi-sensor portable instruments are accurate, dependable, and can last for years in normal operation.  As good as they are, however, sensors have limitations as well as capabilities.  A sensor that underestimates or fails to detect the hazard it is supposed to measure can be the cause of accidents. It’s critical to understand what these life safety devices are able to accurately detect, and what they can’t.  It’s also important to be aware of additional technologies such as infrared (IR) and photoionization (PID) sensors that can provide a solution when standard sensors are not the best choice.

Click Here to view the Webinar

Originally held on April 13, 2010 Robert E Henderson, President of GfG Instrumentation, Inc. sponsored and presented a webinar titled “Choosing the Best Gas Detection Technologies for Combustible Gas and VOC Vapors”.
The webinar was hosted by Industrial Safety & Health News (ISHN).

Overview: When it comes to the selection of combustible and VOC sensors, there is not a “one-size” fits all solution. This webinar details the options available both with respect to technologies and applications.

Click Here to view the Webinar