Ventilation

Mechanical ventilation is an example of an engineering control to reduce chemical exposure. Ventilation can either be general (dilution) or local (exhaust) systems.

General ventilation forces fresh air into an area and dilutes contaminants. This provides a continual supply of fresh air. It is important to note that pure oxygen must never be used for ventilation purposes as it increases flammability risks. General ventilation works best when air contaminants are widely dispersed and toxicity and concentration levels are low. General ventilation can be simply achieved through the use of fans to blow fresh air inside the worksite.

Local ventilation removes contaminated air. The contaminated air removed from the work space must be discharged into the open air, well clear of the source of intake air. Local ventilation works best when air contaminants are generated at a single source and there are high concentrations of toxins that need to be removed. Examples of local ventilation include exhaust hoods and fans set to pull or blow air out of the worksite.

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