What Is Exposure Monitoring?
Occupational exposure monitoring is a method of assessing workplace exposure to hazards. Hazards in the workplace take many forms, including dusts, fumes, vapours, fibres, mists, gases, biological agents, noise, vibration, and more.
Biological
Biological hazards are caused by biological substances that pose a threat to the health of living organisms, most notably humans! These hazards can be living organisms or materials produced by living organisms, and they can cause infections, allergies, toxic effects, respiratory conditions and other serious health issues.
Chemical
Chemical hazards are substances that can cause harm to workers’ health through exposure. They can be solid, liquid, or gas, and include dusts, vapours, fumes, mists, gases, solvents, and reactive substances used or produced in the workplace. Chemical hazards are regulated under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, which require employers to assess, control and monitor worker exposure.
Physical
Physical hazards can cause harm with or without contact and include noise, vibration, radiation, and the thermal environment.
Physical exposures are environmental conditions that can harm workers without involving chemicals or biological agents. These include noise, vibration (hand-arm and whole body), heat and cold stress, poor lighting, radiation, pressure extremes and ergonomic stresses.
Exposure can result in long-term health issues like hearing loss, musculoskeletal disorders, nerve and circulation damage, heat illness and eye strain.
Why Do I Need to Carry Out Exposure Monitoring?
Employers must protect workers from hazardous substances, including dust, fumes, vapours, mists, gases and biological agents. Monitoring protects workers and provides legally defensible evidence that you are controlling exposure to the lowest level reasonably practical. Employers are required to monitor exposure when:
- Exposure may exceed a WEL
- There is uncertainty about exposure levels
- Engineering controls have charged or deteriorated
- New substances, chemicals or processes are introduced
- Workers report symptoms
- LEV or ventilation is questioned
- COSHH assessments indicate monitoring is necessary
- Work takes place in a high-risk environment
- Verification is needed for inspections or audits
- To identify if health surveillance is required
Signs That Exposure Control May Be Inadequate
If you’re unsure whether your exposure monitoring is up to scratch, there are several indicators to watch out for.
- Visible dust, smoke or fumes
- Strong or unusual odours
- Worker complaints (irritation, headaches, breathing issues)
- Poor ventilation or stagnant air
- High CO2 readings indoors
- Frequent filter or LEV issues
- Recent changes to equipment, processes or materials
- Excessive reliance on PPE
Our Workplace Exposure Monitoring Services
We offer a complete suite of monitoring and assessment services to satisfy COSHH and HSE requirements.
- Personal Air Sampling or Static (Fixed-point) Monitoring – Personal exposure monitoring is used to evaluate a specific worker’s risk, whereas static monitoring helps identify contamination sources, background levels, and bystander exposure. It measures substances such as wood dust, welding fume, and respirable crystalline silica (RCS).
- Wipe Sampling of the Skin – To check for exposure through skin absorption.
- Biological Monitoring – This form of monitoring considers all routes of exposure (inhalation, ingestion, skin contact and injection). It can be invasive and typically requires blood or urine samples from those exposed.
- Workplace Indoor Air Quality Monitoring – For office and commercial environments, we measure CO2, VOCs, PM2.5/PM10 particulates, thermal comfort factors including temperature, humidity and airflow, and biological contamination indicators, e.g., mould.
- Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL) Assessment – All testing results are benchmarked against EH40 WELs, short-term exposure limits (STELs) and long-term exposure limits (8-hour TWA).
- Noise Monitoring – Noise is measured by using a sound level meter (SLM) and noise dosimetry badges to identify loud areas and equipment, calculate noise exposure over a workday, and determine necessary actions to protect workers from hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Vibration Measurement – Vibration is also a physical agent which is separated into hand-arm vibration and whole-body vibration. Measurement is conducted using an accelerometer at point of contact to the vibration source.
- Exposure Investigation & Troubleshooting – Where unknown substances or hazards exist, we identify the source and perform root-cause analysis, observe processes and monitor ventilation systems.
What If I Need Help to Carry Out Exposure Monitoring?
At Blue Turtle Ltd, we provide a range of services to help businesses of all types manage their workplace health hazards. Our experienced consultants select appropriate sampling methods, flow rates, and durations to ensure reliable data. We provide practical advice on how to achieve adequate control through process changes, improvements or adopting/changing work practices to reduce the risk as low as reasonably practicable.
Whatever your Occupational Hygiene needs are, Blue Turtle Ltd is here to help your business protect your workforce and help you meet your legal obligations.
