Helmet sensor alerts workers to carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a significant problem for construction workers in residential and industrial settings because the exhaust from gasoline-powered hand tools can quickly build up in enclosed spaces and easily overcome the tool’s users and nearby workers.

In a paper, the researchers explained how they integrated a pulse oximetry sensor into a typical construction helmet to allow continuous and non-invasive monitoring of workers’ blood gas saturation levels.

The results of their study showed that a user of this helmet would be warned of impending carbon monoxide poisoning with a probability of greater than 99 per cent.

Ten Virginia Tech students participated in the study conducted on the university campus by mimicking simple tasks of construction workers.

To show the feasibility of monitoring for carbon monoxide poisoning without subjecting the users to dangerous conditions, the researchers used a prototype for monitoring the blood oxygen saturation.

According to Virginia Tech, the difference for monitoring for oxygen and for carbon monoxide differs only in the number of wavelengths of light employed, so if this monitoring proved feasible, then the monitoring for carbon monoxide would be feasible too.