Hazard Monitoring

Environmental and personal air monitoring is one way to determine exposure to most chemicals. There are instruments to measure contaminates in the air, such as hazardous gases, vapors, fumes, dusts, and mists. Air monitoring does not measure you, but rather what you are exposed to on the job. It can be done from a fixed location or from personal monitors that are attached to individual workers.

Air monitoring may be done with a variety of devices from detector tubes to multi-gas detectors to swab wipes. For example, one way to measure toxins is to attach a small pump to a worker's belt and a filter cassette or tube clipped to the collar with a flexible tube running between them. The filter or tube is located close to the worker's nose and mouth. The pump pulls air through the filter or tube, which traps the dust or toxin. After the sample has been taken, the filter or tube is sent to a laboratory to measure the amount of contaminant on the filter or tube.

To learn more about Construction Chemical Hazards visit our Construction Chemical Hazards & Toxic Substances Online Training web page.