CO monitors keep 18 Boston skating rinks safe

Boston’s Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) has installed in its 18 indoor skating rinks one of the most comprehensive carbon monoxide (CO) control systems ever devised for the protection of ice skaters.

The MDC system includes monitoring devices and a telemetry system that keeps managers as well as headquarters constantly informed of the status of the air at each rink.

CO fumes are created by the gasoline-powered equipment used to smooth the ice for skaters. During high-use periods, the surface is reworked frequently. In addition to the dangers of excessive CO inhaled by individuals, low amounts can affect the performances of figure skaters and hockey players.

The new system replaced the portable, hand-held gas monitors that were used periodically to check CO levels in the rinks.

The new monitors are permanent and provide on-going CO readings. They are tucked away under the judges’ boxes at the rinks’ center lines, where they are safe from damage by errant skaters.

Designed for the MDC by Interscan, Chatsworth, Calif., the monitors prompt powerful fans that draw fumes out of the arenas. ETA Associates, Newton, Mass., helped design the systems and assists in their maintenance.

The telemetry system that provides warnings of CO readings directly into the manager’s offices is a key aspect of the new installation. The signals are also fed into MDC head, quarters in downtown Boston, where they are picked up via computer. A permanent record of the readings is maintained.

“We archive information so the data can be studied for the overall operation of the system,” says Mary Clutchey, a member of the MDC engineering staff who monitors the system for any changes in CO readings. “Information is fed back to rink managers, so they can respond.”

The telemetry system was designed and installed by Motorola, Waltham, Mass., which also provides the signal devices from the rinks to the managers’ offices and the downtown headquarters.

The system has three warning stages, signaled by lights: 1) when CO levels show 35 ppm for two successive minutes; 2) when 35 ppm continues for 20 minutes; and 3) when the CO count reaches 100 ppm for five minutes.

Protocols dictate the actions to be taken as each signal appears. For example, the system alerts management at the third stage.

The permanent record of the CO readings is important, Clutchey says, because “it provides us with a history of CO at each rink.

“We can tell when equipment might be in need of servicing or repair, judging from the amount of CO being discharged.

“We also look at it as a management tool, for personnel as well as equipment,” she says. “The records let us know exactly how CO is being controlled at each rink.”