What Does an Air Quality Test Detect? – Ensuring Safe Workplaces Through Industrial Hygiene

You want to keep your employees safe and healthy at work. But how can you be sure the air quality in your facility isn’t putting them at risk? Even if you can’t see or smell anything unusual, hidden dangers may be lurking.

That’s where industrial hygiene comes in. By testing the air for a wide range of potential contaminants, you can identify and correct issues before they lead to serious health problems or regulatory violations. In this post, we’ll explore what a professional air quality assessment can detect and why it’s a key component of any effective workplace safety program.

Why Air Quality Testing Matters in the Workplace

We all want to believe our workplaces are safe. But the reality is, indoor air quality can often be worse than what’s outside. 

Testing the air quality in your workplace on a regular basis helps:

  • Protect worker health and well-being by catching issues early
  • Identify potential hazards before they cause harm
  • Ensure compliance with OSHA, NIOSH, and other regulations
  • Boost productivity by providing a safe, comfortable work environment

In industries like manufacturing, construction, healthcare, and energy, air quality testing is especially critical. But really, any type of workplace can benefit from this proactive approach to industrial hygiene.

Common Air Contaminants Detected by Industrial Hygiene Testing

So what exactly are we looking for when we test the air in your workplace? The specific contaminants can vary widely depending on your industry, processes, building materials, and many other factors. But in general, an air quality test will measure levels of:

Chemical Pollutants

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are one of the most common types of indoor air pollution. These are chemicals that easily evaporate at room temperature, releasing potentially harmful vapors into the air. Some common sources of VOCs include:

  • Solvents used in manufacturing
  • Paints, stains, and adhesives
  • Cleaning products
  • Petroleum-based fuels and lubricants
  • New furniture and carpets

Other chemical hazards that industrial hygiene testing can detect include:

  • Carbon monoxide from fuel-burning equipment like forklifts or generators
  • Formaldehyde from building materials, furniture, and fabrics
  • Ozone from printers, copiers, and UV lighting
  • Acids, bases, and other process chemicals

Particulate Matter

Solid particles suspended in the air, often too small to see with the naked eye, are another major category of indoor air pollution. These can range from coarse dust you can feel in your nose and throat down to ultra-fine particles that penetrate deep into the lungs. Examples include:

  • Dust kicked up by manufacturing processes like sanding, grinding or cutting
  • Asbestos fibers from older insulation, flooring, or roofing materials
  • Silica dust from concrete, stone, or glasswork
  • Fine mists from spraying operations
  • Smoke and soot from fires or combustion

Nanoparticles from advanced manufacturing and 3D printing are an emerging concern in some high-tech workplaces as well.

Biological Contaminants

Don’t overlook living organisms as a potential source of poor indoor air quality. An industrial hygiene assessment can determine if your workplace has unsafe levels of:

  • Mold spores from leaks, flooding, or high humidity
  • Bacteria and viruses from poor cleaning or ventilation
  • Dust mites, pollen, and other allergens
  • Pest droppings and debris

These biological pollutants can cause allergic reactions, respiratory infections, and in some cases, more serious diseases.

Other Hazards

Some additional air quality hazards an industrial hygienist may look for include:

  • Combustible dust from finely ground materials like wood, grain, metals, coal, and plastic. When suspended in the air in the right concentration, these can create an explosion hazard.
  • Oxygen-deficient atmospheres can be deadly in confined spaces like tanks, tunnels, or storage bins.
  • Extreme temperatures and humidity levels that can cause heat stress in the summer or respiratory issues from dry air in the winter.

The bottom line is that you can’t assume your workplace air is safe just because you don’t notice any obvious problems. Proper air quality testing is the only way to know for sure.

How Cardinal Compliance Consultants Conducts Air Quality Assessments

At Cardinal Compliance Consultants, we follow a proven process to test your air quality and develop customized solutions:

  1. Discuss your concerns and goals. First, we take the time to listen and understand your unique situation. What prompted your interest in industrial hygiene testing? Have employees been complaining about odors, symptoms, or discomfort? Are you preparing for an upcoming OSHA inspection? Looking to improve operational efficiency and productivity? We’ll discuss your specific needs and how our services can help.
  2. Thorough on-site inspection. Next, one of our certified industrial hygienists will visit your facility to assess the air quality in person. We’ll identify potential contaminant sources, spot any visible mold or moisture intrusion, evaluate your ventilation systems and PPE usage, etc. We’ll also review your injury records, chemical inventories, and equipment maintenance logs for clues about underlying issues.
  3. Strategic air sampling. Based on our visual inspection, we’ll develop a targeted air sampling plan to measure key contaminants in the areas of greatest concern. 
  4. We use only the most advanced, calibrated equipment to ensure reliable, accurate results. Our state-of-the-art monitoring technology and testing instruments exceed industry standards, providing you with precise data that supports confident compliance decisions.
  5. State-of-the-art laboratory analysis. After collecting air samples from your facility, we send them to our network of accredited labs for in-depth analysis. There, skilled scientists will use sophisticated techniques like gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and microscopy to precisely identify and quantify any contaminants present.
  6. Clear, actionable reporting. You won’t just get a bunch of numbers and scientific jargon back from us. Our team will carefully analyze the lab results and prepare a clear, easy-to-understand report summarizing the key findings. We’ll compare the measured air quality parameters to OSHA permissible exposure limits (PELs), NIOSH recommended exposure limits (RELs), and other applicable guidelines. If we find any areas of concern, we’ll explain the potential risks and outline some initial steps you should take to resolve them.
  7. Customized recommendations. Along with our air quality report, you’ll get a detailed list of recommendations tailored to your unique facility and workforce. This may include simple fixes like repairing a ventilation system leak, adding local exhaust to a problem area, or upgrading to more protective respirators. We may also suggest larger-scale solutions like transitioning to less hazardous process chemicals, redesigning work areas to improve airflow, or implementing an employee health surveillance program. We’ll help you understand the pros and cons of each option and develop a practical action plan.
  8. Ongoing support and follow-up testing. Our industrial hygiene services don’t stop after the initial round of testing. We’ll be there to support you every step of the way as you implement our recommendations. Whether you need help communicating the air sampling results to employees, selecting the right control measures, or conducting follow-up testing to verify the fixes are working, we’ve got your back.

Beyond Air Sampling: A Comprehensive Approach to Industrial Hygiene

While air quality testing is certainly a critical aspect of industrial hygiene, it’s just one piece of the puzzle. To truly protect worker health and safety, you need a comprehensive program that looks at the full range of potential hazards in your workplace.

That’s why Cardinal Compliance Consultants offers additional services like:

  • Ventilation assessments to ensure your Ventilation system is providing adequate fresh air and removing contaminants effectively. We’ll measure airflow rates, pressure differentials, filtration efficiency, and more.
  • PPE evaluations to determine if your employees have the right respiratory protection, gloves, eyewear, and clothing for the hazards they face. We’ll help you select appropriate PPE, develop usage policies, and train workers on proper fit testing and maintenance.
  • Exposure control plans that document the specific hazards present, control measures in place, and procedures for monitoring and reducing exposures over time. We’ll help you develop written plans that meet OSHA requirements and industry best practices.
  • Industrial hygiene training to educate managers and employees on the health risks of air contaminants, the importance of proper PPE and engineering controls, and their roles in maintaining a safe work environment. We offer engaging, interactive training on topics like respiratory protection, hazard communication, and more.
  • Risk assessments to systematically evaluate all potential safety and health hazards, prioritize them based on severity and likelihood and develop targeted control strategies. Our comprehensive risk mapping process ensures nothing falls through the cracks.

By combining regular air sampling with these other essential elements, you can build a robust industrial hygiene program that protects your workers, reduces injury and illness rates, and demonstrates your commitment to safety excellence.

Protect What Matters Most with Regular Air Quality Testing

At the end of the day, your employees are your most valuable asset. They’re the ones who show up day after day, putting their skills and dedication to work to keep your business running. Don’t you owe it to them to ensure the air they breathe on the job is as safe and healthy as possible?

That’s where Cardinal Compliance Consultants comes in. Our certified industrial hygienists have the knowledge, experience, and state-of-the-art equipment to accurately assess your indoor air quality and provide practical solutions to any issues we find. We’ve helped companies across a wide range of industries – from heavy manufacturing to healthcare to schools and offices – create cleaner, healthier, and more productive work environments.

So don’t wait until your employees start getting sick or an OSHA inspector shows up at your door to test the air quality in your workplace. Be proactive and schedule your professional air quality assessment today. Contact Cardinal Compliance Consultants now to learn more about our industrial hygiene testing services and how we can help you protect what matters most – the health and well-being of your workforce.



from Cardinal Compliance Consultants https://cardinalhs.net/blog/what-does-an-air-quality-test-detect-ensuring-safe-workplaces-through-industrial-hygiene/
via Cardinal Compliance Consultants

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