5 Steps for Using Fleet Data to Help Enhance Gas Detection Programs

Turn gas detector data into actionable insights and improved compliance via five clear steps that connect device maintenance, worker behavior, and key metrics.

• By Anne Osbourn
• Jul 16, 2025

Today’s industrial workers use more safety tools and connected devices than workers decades ago could have ever imagined. Advancements in gas detection technology have made devices smarter, with many now providing usage data and insights that can be leveraged to help drive safety further. Understanding this gas detector fleet and field worker data is becoming increasingly important for managing a successful modern safety program. But the number of tools and amount of data available – and what to do with it – might seem overwhelming.  

Basic Components of a Gas Detection Program 

There are three basic components to a modern gas detection program:  

1. Behaviors 
2. Tools 
3. Data 

When behaviors, tools, and data work together harmoniously, they create a balanced cycle that becomes a feedback loop and a constant source of improvement, impacting areas such as worker safety, productivity, and bottom-line outcomes. A balanced cycle starts with properly trained workers using properly maintained tools, such as portable gas detection devices, that collect data and provide insights to drive behaviors and ultimately enhance an organization’s safety program and impact bottom-line outcomes. 

Failure to properly leverage device capabilities and data may result in what would be considered an “imbalanced cycle,” where device maintenance and data, and insights are not properly addressed, leading safety managers to take fewer actions and focus less on worker training. Failure to act based on fleet data may begin to have a negative impact on overall worker accountability; for example, workers may begin to ignore device alarms, miss device maintenance such as bump tests and calibration, or question why they wear the devices at all. What’s more, safety managers and their teams may ultimately be left without the data and insights to help inform what safety training may be needed for workers, what the alarm trends of their various worksites are over time, and what impact their program has on the organization’s overall business goals.   

This is an example of how technology may not improve safety programs unless it is properly used and understood. And considering all that a modern safety manager has to do, with fewer people and resources, while also maintaining regulatory compliance and improving safety culture, understanding what to do with fleet data and how to leverage it can help safety managers take their programs to the next level.   

Here are five core steps outlining what to do with fleet data to help enhance gas detection programs.  

Core Steps to Help Enhance Gas Detection Programs 

1. Identifying Core Problems. At the core of a healthy gas detection program are two basic factors: 1) properly maintained gas detectors, and 2) a thorough understanding of potential exposures. Connected solutions involving both hardware and software can help safety managers and their teams identify maintenance issues and exposure risks.  

Since tools – or devices – are one of the three components of a modern safety program, device maintenance is especially important. Gas detectors should be maintained according to manufacturer recommendations, for example, performing regular bump tests and calibrations. With a connected solution, safety managers can gain insights into which devices are due to be bump tested or calibrated before going out to the field, and who those devices belong to, ultimately identifying a core problem that can be addressed through proper training.   

2. Worker Involvement. Worker involvement is an important part of a successful modern safety program. Understanding and discussing workers' relationships with the devices they are using and the data those devices generate can help deliver key insights into how those devices are truly being used in the field. Safety managers can also identify workers who may benefit from additional training, or additional encouragement and reward, when warranted.  

One way to simplify worker and device data is through digital device assignment via RFID tags. With digital device assignment, all device data can be linked to specific workers, enabling monitoring and tracking for several purposes that may include: 

• Recordkeeping – Helps simplify and support good recordkeeping practices for compliance reporting 
• Tracking – Helps locate devices that may have been accidentally taken home or misplaced  
• Accountability – Helps keep the team accountable to each other when handing devices off to one another, and helps ensure devices are properly maintained and compliant for use 
• Safety – Helps off-site teams monitor devices with real-time data and act accordingly if devices go into alarm 

The sooner safety managers and their teams can discuss mutual responsibilities for the equipment and data, the sooner they can start driving improvement. 

3. Gather Focused Insights. The next step is to observe and gather insights on core KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) or unusual occurrences. If teams are not aligned with the data they want to collect and what their overarching KPIs are, then it’s important they spend time laying out the core areas with all stakeholders. Ensure everyone, from the executive to the field tech, knows what data is important, how the data is used, why it matters in reaching shared goals and metrics, and what their role is in reaching those goals.  

There are many ways to leverage gas detector data, and following strict protocol based on data insights can help with complacency or identify underlying issues. By gathering high-level data, categorized by company or department, safety managers can see a team’s areas for improvement with one click. Interpreting that data can often lead to more extensive discussions while uncovering the root cause of any discovered issues. 

Examples of these types of issues: One team may be out of compliance due to a broken docking station. Another may have a challenge getting a steady supply of calibration gas. A third may require more device chargers or more accessible docking stations throughout various worksites or locations.  

4. Complete The Cycle. Data will only tell part of the story. Sometimes the biggest epiphanies occur once behavior is connected to data and insights. To complete the cycle and gain a clear picture, hold conversations with field employees. Some questions to consider include:  

• Can you walk me through that process for confined space entry? 
• Do you have the right accessory or instrument type? 
• Do you have enough charging stations, test banks, or pump probes? 

Discussions from the field and insights from instrument data provide context for actionable steps that can help change behaviors and improve safety culture.  

5. Data-Driven Conversations. The final step is strategically communicating data-driven actions and their value to the organization. Remember that when it comes to sharing the data, the information should speak to the audience. A clear understanding of processes and procedures can help guide field teams, and ROI (Return On Investment) and value-added metrics for the business help enlighten executives. 

Some useful strategies to follow include: 

• Know the metrics – be able to communicate the data 
• Understanding the data – this means a firm grasp of the story the data tells 
• Explain how the data is used – clearly communicate safety decisions guided by data, and how the data played a role 
• Focus on value – ensure communications speak to the value for both the field teams and executives. 
• Inform on progress and milestones – aim to incorporate data reporting and insights into regular meetings 
• Stay up-to-date – monitor technology improvements that can help or aging fleets that can harm desired business outcomes 

Basic Components + Core Steps = Balanced Cycle 

Understanding fleet data and using it to enhance gas detection programs starts with acknowledging the three basic components of a modern gas detection program, then following core steps to retrieve and analyze data and behaviors to achieve a balanced cycle.  

A connected hardware and software solution can help provide the device and worker data and insights to help simplify fleet compliance, enhance worker visibility, and drive organizational productivity.  

This article originally appeared in the July/August 2025 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.