as a result of an interruption of the electrical circuit such as power failure or actuating valve 10 and fan 9 as a result of reduced current strength or current density are well known and thus not illustrated in the drawing electronic relays or solenoids for example can be used to actuate the valves 6 or 10 alone or through an auxiliary power source or a full electronic system involving the use of silicon rectifiers could also be used these mechanisms can be adjusted to actuating these valves upon complete power failure or reduced current strength and can also be regulated to automatically stop the inert gas or air flow at the end of a given period the following example illustrates in a non limitative manner the device according to the invention designed for the recovery of gases formed during the electrolysis of alkali metal chlorates in a plant for the electrolysis of sodium chloride for producing sodium chlorate producing 1 ton of sodium chlorate per hour the cells release measured under standard conditions of temperature and pressure 0 u00b0 c 1 bar the plant comprises 50 electrolyzers a operating at 32 000 amperes and divided into 2 production lines of 25 cells each arranged above each line is a gas collector 2 having a diameter of 150 mm which recovers the gases of each cell of the corresponding line and which terminates at a scrubbing.