For the longest time, video surveillance has played an important role in securing end-user entities in different verticals, from the government to oil and gas industries to education, and so on and so forth. However, some of these verticals such as oil & gas industries, chemical treatment plants, etc, have environments that are especially harsh. In all these environments where the risk of explosion is high an explosion-proof camera works best.
Explosion-proof cameras play a critical role in the surveillance and monitoring of harsh environments. Salt, humidity, and chemical contamination can do a lot of harm to electronic devices, especially when they are constantly exposed to such substances. Therefore, explosion-proof cameras are your best bet for surveillance in hazardous areas.Demands for these types of cameras are higher than ever, triggering growth. In fact, the global market for explosion-proof equipment is expected to hit US$8.2 billion by 2022, according to a report by Allied Market Research. This highlights the importance and benefits the explosion-proof cameras are bringing to industries working under harsh conditions.
Also read: Sharpeagle: A Quick Overview of Different Types of Ex-Proof CCTV Systems
The Ex-proof CCTV system is indeed the latest, trending, and innovative technology for monitoring and surveillance purpose, but there are plenty of models available for the ex-proof cameras in the market. How would you come to know that a specific explosion-proof camera is perfect for your company’s needs? Let’s find out!
With a high-resolution digital camera, you can always make the most of every picture you take. You can enhance the finest details you might have missed in the field by expanding your image digitally without pixelating your picture. But, if you compromise on the budget and get a low-resolution camera, you would end up with low-resolution and poor-quality pictures. This would mean the repair task, quality control, or safety review may be jeopardized or incorrect conclusions made. All because of a low-resolution picture obtained from a low-resolution camera.
A good surveillance camera shouldn’t shut down when your shift ends. It should continue to be your eyes and ears even when there is no one in the vicinity. This is why a removable, replaceable, and rechargeable battery is an absolute must for your explosion-proof digital camera. Explosion-proof digital cameras come at a significant cost and you need to maximize the investment. Fixed internal batteries that can’t be replaced are not a good option. A removable and rechargeable battery gives the camera the ability to continue the surveillance for as long as needed.
For harsh and rugged environments such as oil and gas or chemical plants, your camera needs to be tough. It should be able to withstand the most corrosive environments, hurricanes, heavy rain, snowfall, extreme temperatures, dust, etc. You need to keep risk factors in mind while choosing an explosion-proof camera. Explosion-proof CCTV should be effortlessly operated while wearing gloves and glasses; so, no hurdles occur.
The style of explosion-proof cameras you choose will depend on the type of surveillance you need to do. Explosion-proof dome or bullet cameras are a good option for general surveillance. They have limited angles of view but are significantly lighter than Pan Tilt Zoom cameras and tend to be less expensive. PTZ cameras provide more monitoring options, allowing for a greater field of view.Depending on the application, explosive-proof mounts and housing can also be utilized to optimize coverage. Mounts can help position your cameras to obtain optimal coverage of the area while keeping the devices out of the way of any personal or equipment.
Also read: Install Ex-Proof CCTV Camera for Industrial Security
It’s also good to know whether the camera follows certain standards certifying products are explosion-proof. These standards include UL’s class and division system for products in hazardous locations, as well as EU’s ATEX directive.
Your ex-proof camera should be able to record and capture the activities happening there simultaneously. So, you can maintain the database and present it at the time of disputes. Some explosion-proof camera manufacturers would provide you with a cloud server package where everything gets stored and can be retrieved at any time.
Developing and manufacturing Ex products is hard enough, supporting them and you properly is even harder. Be sure you select a manufacturer that has years of experience in the Ex digital camera market, a manufacturer who listens to your needs and adapts to them providing you with a reputable product with years of evolution under its belt.
Surveillance is important even when there’s no light. That means it doesn’t matter, whether it’s day or night, it’s high light or low light or no light, it’s indoor or outdoor, your camera must be in functioning mode 24x7. So, make sure the function of flash is available in explosion-proof CCTV cameras.
Also read: Explosion Proof Cameras- The Resilient equipment for Oil and Gas industry
So, there you have it, all the necessary questions you must ask yourself and the Explosion-proof camera manufacturer before making a purchase. If you are looking for an explosion-proof camera surveillance system.
