How Safe Are Thief Hatches?

In the Oil and Gas industry, it’s a common practice for operators to gauge the level of tanks through the thief hatch—a small, closable opening in a tank or vessel.  Thief hatches are normally included on low-pressure holding tanks, and are used to determine the level of the tank, take samples of the contents, and address pressure issues.

Unfortunately, the process of opening the thief hatch can put workers in unsafe environments due to invisible emissions from the tanks:

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Optical Gas Imaging helps highlight how dangerous these common practices can be. Cameras like the FLIR GFx320 detect hydrocarbon and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, helping keep workers safe, reduce revenue loss, and comply with environmental regulations by detecting fugitive emissions quickly.

Learn more about Teledyne FLIR Optical Gas Imaging solutions: flir.com/ogi