Two Way Radios In Oil and Gas and Petro-chemical Industry

A vital two way radio industry use are two way radios in Oil and Gas and Petro-chemical industry are an an incredibly valuable tool for your operatives. Effective communication is essential for critical health and safety practices. With increased terror threats, security two way radios are a vital component in ensuring the facilities safety. Of course in the event of an incident emergency services two way radios provide the crucial connection between all on-site teams.

There are many two way radios that you can choose for your Oil and Gas petrochemical site. There are many specialist Atex two way radios created specifically for this sector. As with any hazardous environment, the two way radios are designed to conform to varying Atex classifications.

Why Use Two Way Radios In Oil and Gas Petrochemical Industry?

Using Two Way Radios In Oil and Gas Petrochemical Industry

Working in areas that have explosive or combustible dust, oil rigs, petrochemical plants or an open mine, safe, reliable communication is critical. Using two way radios can allow you to comply with health and safety standards and ensure personnel are safe.

With two way radios you can:

• Build an efficient communication network for your site
• Communicate quickly with operatives
• Speak to everyone with a two-way radio on site at once, such as in an emergency
• Use dedicated channels or frequencies to communicate with individuals or groups of users
• Connect multiple sites in different geographical locations with the same two way radio network*
• Send and receive text and email messages*
• Make or receive outbound calls*

*Handset and system dependent

Which Two Way Radios In Oil and Gas Petrochemical Should I Use on My Site?

Before you can decide which two-way radios to use, there are many factors you will need to consider

• Which hazardous zones will operatives need to communicate in?
• What is the minimum Atex classification for devices to operate safely in each hazardous zone
• Do you require two way radio signal coverage in every area
• What health and safety requirements are there for emergency procedures
• Who are going to be using the two way radios
• What features do each radio user require
• How many users require a two way radio
• How can you effectively manage all on-site communications
• What health and safety requirements are there for emergency procedures
• Do you require private communication channels so no outside listeners can eavesdrop
• How much do the two way radios cost
• Can you hire compatible devices for shut-down sub-contractors

Now that we have considered some of the queries related to two way radio use we can start to consider the type of two-way radio to use on your construction site.

Atex Licence-free or Atex Licenced Two Way Radios

Atex Licence-Free Two Way Radios

You may think that a licence-free two way radio cannot provide the safety you require. Entel offers licence-free Atex two way radio solutions that may be suitable. If your oil and gas or petrochemical site are small or you have a team of sub-contractors working in a small area of your site, then ENTEL’s latest digital ATEX and IECEx IIA certified handsets may prove very useful and cost-effective.

As the name suggests, they are licence-free so do not Require an Ofcom business radio licence and work out of the box with no programming required.

Atex Licenced Two Way Radios

Atex licenced two way radios in oil and gas petrochemical sites offer a more versatile solution compared to Atex licence-free radios.

Advantages of Atex licenced two way radios include:

• The power output of Atex licenced radios is set at 1 watt, compared to 0.5watts which increases coverage
• Can be programmed with unique frequencies instead of being set on 446MHz
• Some handsets are GPS enabled
• Can connect to a dispatch console
• It can be possible to send and receive texts and emails
• Some have lone worker and man-down alarms
• They can connect to trunked radio solutions

These are just some of the advantages. In essence, if your site requires anything above the very basic requirements that an Atex licence-free solution can provide then you will need to use Atex licenced two way radios.

Ofcom Business Radio Licence

ATEX licenced two way radios will require an Ofcom Business Radio Licence per channel. If you are unfamiliar with two-way radio licencing requirements we recommend you learn more about Ofcom Business Radio Licencing here.

There are many licencing options available to you to enhance your on-site communications but unless you have extensive experience we would recommend that you contact a two way radio supplier to assist with your application to ensure you choose the best option.

Our Thoughts

Atex two way radios for the oil and Gas petrochemical industry is a standard requirement as there will almost certainly be hazardous areas on site that require you to use Atex products. For security purposes we would always recommend licenced Atex two way radios. For close range work with sub contractors where they do not need to communicate with the main site communications then licence-free Atex two way radios could be a great fit.