The AXS Monitor Mate Story

The AXS Monitor Mate Story

The Monitor Mate story began in the summer of 2017, when John was working as the safety manager for a roustabout company contracted by a major oil operator in the Bakken. Personnel were required to wear atmospheric monitors in their breathing zone, but the field crews did not have a practical way to do so comfortably and consistently.

In the field, many workers were clipping their monitors to the collars of their flame-resistant shirts because there was not a better option available. During hot weather, this practice caused shirt collars to stretch, left areas of skin exposed below the neck, and often damaged costly flame-resistant work shirts.

After searching for a lanyard that could comfortably support the weight of an atmospheric monitor while also incorporating a breakaway safety feature, John was surprised to find that no practical solution existed. Recognizing the need, he purchased a secondhand sewing machine and began developing the first AXS Monitor Mate.

What started as an idea became a working product. Through persistence, patience, and belief in the vision, the Monitor Mate continued to improve from its first field-built design into the version available today.

From that first design to today’s updated Monitor Mate, the purpose has remained the same: solving a real-world oilfield problem. The Monitor Mate is intended to help workers keep atmospheric monitors properly positioned in the breathing zone, improve comfort, reduce monitor damage, and provide a more stable and practical way to wear critical monitoring equipment.

The original design proved successful, and Monitor Mates were issued to crews. In recent years, as more oil and gas companies have emphasized breathing-zone monitor placement, demand for the Monitor Mate atmospheric monitor lanyard has continued to grow.

AXS Consulting Specialties is especially proud that the Monitor Mate is a 100 percent American-made product. It was not developed by a large corporation or mass-produced from the start. It was created by a small businessman who saw a problem in the field, believed there had to be a better way, and committed to building that solution.

What makes the AXS Monitor Mate lanyard unique?

• Purpose built by someone who works in the oilfield

• The patented "stability triangle" that keeps the monitor centered on the workers chest

• A break away system to protect the worker from being caught up in rotating equipment