Overview
Long linear spaces break the assumptions most confined space equipment is built on. The distance from entry point to workface may be several hundred metres. Ventilation is poor along the whole run. Workers spread out. Radio does not propagate. Risk stacks — atmosphere, isolation, egress — the further in you go.
The LSM3000 addresses each of those directly. Units cascade along the tunnel, extending data and power to a claimed working length of 1,000 m without blind spots. Personnel are located and accounted for along the run, not merely counted at the door. The internal units communicate over a cabled bus rather than wireless, which is what makes the distance achievable in a steel-and-concrete environment.
It is the configuration we recommend for municipal utility galleries, cable tunnels, metro and highway service passages, plant cable trenches and long chemical pipe galleries.
Key features
Personnel lifecycle control
Card-swipe entry and exit, position tracking along the tunnel, vital-sign monitoring, over-occupancy and overtime alerts, and a single-press SOS from the wristband.
Real-time atmospheric monitoring
Multi-parameter gas sensing with second-level response and configurable additional sensors. Graded audible and visual alarms; the system keeps working offline when the network drops, which matters most in an emergency.
Video coverage and remote direction
Panoramic video with playback, two-way intercom and automatic recognition of unsafe behaviour, so a supervisor at the surface can correct a worker several hundred metres in.
Cascaded networking over long distances
Units chain along the space to extend both data and power. The last node in a 1,000 m run reports as reliably as the first.
Full audit trail
Electronic permit approval, automatic archiving of all records, one-click incident replay and automatically generated compliance reports. When an inspector asks what happened on a given date, the answer is a query rather than a search through files.
Dual power and industrial protection
DC 12 V mains supply with an internal emergency battery that carries the unit for a further 6–8 hours after power loss — sized for the spaces where there is no convenient supply at all.
Technical specification
| Remote communication | 4G public network, 5G private network or Wi-Fi |
|---|---|
| Power supply | Battery powered; internal unit supplied over cable from the external unit |
| Rated voltage | DC 12 V, 50 W |
| Alarm | Audible and visual |
| Weight | Approximately 12 kg including internal equipment |
| Dimensions | 490 × 360 × 220 mm |
| Mounting | Internal unit magnetic or wall mounted; external unit is ready out of the crate; display terminal detachable |
| Node length | 20 m per node as standard, extendable to 100 m |
|---|---|
| Total length | Data bus transmission distance of not less than 1,000 m |
| External interface | One aviation plug (male) at each end of the bus |
| Operating environment | −40 °C to +85 °C |
Where it is used
| Municipal utilities | Urban utility tunnels, underground cable and communications galleries, sewage and stormwater networks, heating trenches Gas poisoning and asphyxiation, unauthorised access, difficult rescue and egress |
|---|---|
| Transport tunnels | Metro running tunnels, highway tunnels, cross passages, narrow civil defence corridors Poor ventilation and oxygen deficiency, accumulation of equipment exhaust, unauthorised entry, schedule pressure driving unsafe practice |
| Power generation | Plant cable trenches, on-site transmission tunnels, cable galleries beneath substations Toxic gas from cable ageing, CO from welding, high contractor headcount, heat and humidity, cable leakage |
| Power grid | Grid cable trenches, HV cable tunnels, distribution trenches, switchgear gallery tunnels Gas released by heated cable, long signal dead zones causing loss of contact with inspection staff, corrosion and cable leakage |
| Oil, gas and chemical | Process pipe galleries, chemical waste water lines, plant material trenches Toxic and flammable gas release, explosion risk, unpermitted hot work, rapidly spreading vapour |
Patents and certifications
Frequently asked questions
How long a tunnel can it cover?
The extendable data bus is rated for not less than 1,000 m in total, with each node covering 20 m as standard and up to 100 m where required. That is a wired bus rather than a wireless mesh, which is why the figure holds up inside steel and concrete.
How is the position of each worker tracked?
Personnel are located relative to the cascade nodes along the tunnel, and the headcount is reconciled against the entry and exit log at the access point. Supervisors see who is in, where along the run they are, and how long they have been there.
What happens if the mains supply or the network fails?
The station runs from battery with an internal emergency pack giving a further 6–8 hours of operation after a power loss, and the internal units continue to acquire and alarm locally when the uplink drops. The access point alarm and the wristband alarm do not depend on the cloud.
Can it be deployed in a space with no power at the workface?
Yes — that is the configuration it was designed for. The internal unit is fed over the data bus from the external unit rather than requiring a local supply, so you only need power at the entry point.
Which industries use the LSM3000?
Municipal utilities and tunnel operators, power generation and grid companies, and oil, gas and chemical plants. The common factor is a confined space with a long run and poor ventilation rather than a compact vessel.