Gas detectors in Malaysia: supply, calibration gas and sensors
Portable single gas and multi-gas detectors, calibration gas and sensors. Calibrated in our own workshop.
TopBorneo supplies portable gas detectors in Malaysia as an official MSA distributor, from offices in Labuan and Kota Kinabalu.
The same workshop calibrates them, replaces sensors and rents spare units out. A detector is not a one time purchase: MSA recommends a bump test before each day's use and calibration at a maximum interval of six months.
Supplied, rented and calibrated by the same team
What is in this range
Multi-gas detectors
Measure several gases at once, which is what a confined space entry normally calls for. TopBorneo supplies the MSA ALTAIR range, including the 4XR and the 5X, and calibrates them in its own workshop.
Single gas and two gas detectors
Watch one or two gases, usually hydrogen sulphide or carbon monoxide, and are worn as a personal alarm. Quoted per unit with the sensors the site needs.
Calibration gas, sensors and spare parts
Calibration gas has an expiry date and sensors wear out without failing a test. Both are ordered for the exact unit, so send the model, the serial number and the sensor configuration.
Why work with TopBorneo
Tell us the job, the site and the crew. We work out what fits instead of sending a catalogue back.
MSA, KStrong and Bullard straight from an official distributor, with lighter lines alongside them.
Gas detectors, breathing apparatus and cylinders are serviced by our own technicians.
The same people handle your enquiry, your order and your servicing.
Read more
Open a section to read what a buyer or an HSE manager needs before ordering.
The four words on every quotation
| Term | What it means | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| Bump test | A short check with real gas, like holding a lit match under a smoke alarm instead of pressing its test button. The detector passes when it alarms and reads within the maker's tolerance of the gas it was given. A unit that alarms but reads well under the applied concentration has failed | Your own crew, before each day's use |
| Calibration | Resetting the detector against gas of a known, exact concentration, like checking a scale with a weight of exactly one kilogram | TopBorneo, in the workshop |
| Calibration gas | A cylinder of gas at a stated concentration, used for both jobs. It has an expiry date and must match the sensors in the unit | Supplied with the detector |
| Sensor life | Every sensor wears out and is replaced, even when it still passes a test | Checked at each calibration |
The MSA ALTAIR range
TopBorneo supplies the MSA ALTAIR range, including the 2X, the 4X, the 4XR and the 5X. The 2X measures one or two gases and is carried as a personal alarm. The 4XR and the 5X measure several gases at once, which is what a confined space entry normally calls for.
The ALTAIR io range is a separate line and not a replacement for the others. Those units send their readings on to a connected system instead of only showing them on the display. They also run on their own dock rather than on the calibration bench used for the rest of the range.
Send the gases you need to measure, whether you need a pump, and how many units. The other groups are on the safety equipment supplier in Malaysia page.
What the flammable gas sensor is set on
Most portable detectors read flammable gas with a catalytic sensor, and that sensor is set on one gas at the factory, usually methane or pentane. Measure a different fuel and the reading is not the same number. Ask for the response factor of the gas you actually have: that is the correction number that turns the reading into the real level.
Two more limits matter. The sensor burns a trace of the gas to measure it, so it reads low in air that is short of oxygen. Silicone vapour damages it permanently, and hydrogen sulphide holds it back for as long as that gas is present. Tell TopBorneo which fuels and which contaminants your site has, and the sensor is quoted to match.
Calibration gas and sensors
Two things run out on a working detector: the gas in the cylinder and the sensors in the unit. Calibration gas has an expiry date printed on the cylinder. Sensors reach the end of their service life without ever failing a test, which is why they are checked at every calibration.
Both are ordered for that exact unit. Send the model, the serial number and the sensor configuration, and TopBorneo quotes the gas and the sensors that unit takes. Ordering by name alone goes wrong: two detectors that look the same can carry different sensors.
Detectors from another brand
Equipment bought over several years, or by different departments, ends up as a mix of models. Send the models you already have and your site standard, and TopBorneo tells you per unit how the workshop handles them. See portable gas detector calibration for how that is handled. On the supply side, tell TopBorneo which make you want to keep and which you would rather standardise on.
Keeping your detectors within their interval
TopBorneo is an authorised MSA service centre for portable gas detection. Detectors bought together are due for calibration at the same time, usually in the same week. TopBorneo calibrates ALTAIR detectors in its own workshop, see ALTAIR 4XR and 5X servicing, and calibrates other portable detectors as well, see portable gas detector calibration. While units are on the bench, gas detector rental can cover the gap so your crew does not have to wait. Offshore and onshore crews order the rest of their gear the same way, see safety equipment for oil and gas crews.
Common questions
Where can I buy a gas detector in Sabah or Labuan?
TopBorneo supplies portable gas detectors from its offices in Labuan and Kota Kinabalu, as an official MSA distributor. Send the gases you need to measure and the number of units to crm@topborneo.com.
Which gas detectors does TopBorneo supply?
TopBorneo supplies the MSA ALTAIR range, including the 2X, the 4X, the 4XR and the 5X, and orders from the separate ALTAIR io range, which sends readings on to a connected system. Detectors of other makes are quoted as well, from single gas units for a spot check to lighter lines for crews that do not need an MSA, so the quotation matches the work and the budget. Calibration gas, sensors and spare parts are quoted with the units.
How often does a gas detector need to be calibrated?
MSA recommends calibration at a maximum interval of six months for detectors with standard XCell sensors, and a bump test before each day's use. What TopBorneo does on the bench, and what the certificate states, is set out on the portable gas detector calibration page. Your own procedure and your client's contract can set a shorter interval.
What is the difference between a single gas and a multi-gas detector?
A single gas detector watches one gas, usually hydrogen sulphide or carbon monoxide, and is carried as a personal alarm. A multi-gas detector measures several gases at once and is what a confined space entry normally needs. TopBorneo supplies both and quotes the sensors per unit.
Who is allowed to do the gas testing before a confined space entry?
Malaysia's Industry Code of Practice for Safe Working in a Confined Space 2010 requires an Authorised Gas Tester and Entry Supervisor to do the gas testing. That person needs a detector that is in calibration. TopBorneo supplies and calibrates the detector that person uses.
Send your model list
Email the models, serial numbers and sensor configuration to crm@topborneo.com, or send them to the Labuan or Kota Kinabalu WhatsApp number. TopBorneo comes back with a quotation for the units, the gas and the sensors.