Dust Monitoring Devices

To measure the amount of cotton dust present in the air, employers must use a vertical elutriator or equivalent device. A vertical elutriator is a device that can separate particles in an air sample based on their size by running the sample through a flow of liquid or gas. An "equivalent device" may use a different method to detect particles, but it should have the ability to detect particles of similar size. Specifically, 8 CCR 5190 requires the measurement device to have the following properties:

• The device must detect particles approximately 15 microns in size; this is how small a particle must be to enter one's lungs.
• When an equivalent device is used side by side with a vertical elutriator, results must be within 25% of each other in 95 out of 100 tests.
• Tests must be done for ranges between 0.5 and 2.0 times the PEL.

Manufacturers can have their devices approved as an "equivalent device" by the Chief of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health for California. Employers may wish to use a device that the manufacturer did not have approved. If so, that employer can request approval of the device by sending sufficient test data and any other relevant information to the chief of the division for a written opinion.

To learn more about Cotton Dust Safety visit our Cal/OSHA Cotton Dust Safety Online Training web page.