Air Monitoring (HSE MDHS)

Need to Monitor Your Employees? Ambient Air? Tecforce has the Solution!

WHAT IS AIR MONITORING?

Air monitoring is the taking of a sample of a known volume of air through a filter medium, so that the contaminant present in the air is trapped and can then be measured.
The concentration of a particulate in Milligrams Per Cubic Metre (mg/m3) or Parts Per Million (PPM) can then be calculated.

WHY SHOULD AIR BE MONITORED?

Your production processes produce contaminates, dusts and vapours that may be harmful to your employees? health.
In order to help you comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1999 Tecforce can provide Air Sampling in accordance with Health & Safety Executive (HSE) published Methods for the Determination of Hazardous Substances (MDHS 14/3).

WHAT NEEDS TO BE IN THE TEST?

Utilising different sorbent tubes, air should be monitored for:

• Particulates
• Vapours
• Gases

Examples of our work include diesel engine exhaust emissions in workshops; welding fumes, solvents and vapours etc.

The HSE sets occupational exposure limits (OELs) for hazardous substances at work. There are two types of OELs for hazardous substances::

Maximum Exposure Limit (MEL)
These are set for those substances that that have the most serious effects on health (e.g. occupational asthma, cancer), and which cannot have a "safe" level of exposure (or where safe levels exist, but not at a reasonable practicable level for industry).

Occupational Exposure Standard (OES)
This is where there is no scientific evidence that repeated exposure will be of danger to the health of the employee.
OESs should not be exceeded, but if this does happen you should take effective steps as soon as practicable to reduce exposure. If the substance cannot be eliminated inhalation controls are adequate if the OES is not exceeded, or if it is exceeded, you must take steps to reduce exposure.

Regulation 7 of COSHH explains how MELs and OESs should be used.

Both types of limit are concentrations of hazardous substances in the air, which are averaged over a specific period of time, which is referred to as a time weighted average (TWA). Two time periods are used: Long Term (8hrs) or Short Term (15 minutes).
Short Term Exposure Limits (STELs) are set to help prevent effects (e.g. eye irritation) which can happen after being exposed for only a few minutes.
The concentrations of contaminants vary day to day, week to week, depending on the process.

Tecforce can provide advice on the TWAs and STELs that apply to your working practices.

HOW IS IT MONITORED?

Using a series of pumps, sorbent tubes and I.O.M or cyclone filters, Tecforce can sample the breathing zone of your employees on your premises to show the existence of contaminates, dusts and vapours.

THE BENEFITS TO YOU

• During our survey of your processes, we will plan, collect samples and evaluate the results, and provide an easy to read report.
• We can perform personal sampling surveys, background sampling surveys, or strategic sampling surveys depending upon your specific needs and processes.
• As the equipment is small and light weight, our monitoring of your ambient air will have minimum impact upon your work.
• We will evaluate the risk in your workplace and evaluate the risk of harm occurring. We will then decide on appropriate controls to reduce the risk of harm to an acceptable level.
• We can also help you demonstrate adequate control of exposure (in line with COSHH Regulation 7 and 10) and provide evaluation of controls (COSHH Regulation 9).
• If the substance you are using has not been set an MEL or OES, we can help you to set your own in-house standards and in-house action-levels.