Controlling employee exposure

ESG has a network of laboratories to provide a range of on-site occupational hygiene and sampling services throughout the country. Together with measurement and monitoring, ESG’s experienced and qualified analysts and occupational hygienists can offer consultancy and advice on control strategies, problem solving, and interpretation of regulations and procedures. Our experienced analysts are able to draw upon a complete range of analytical instrumentation to ensure accurate results with minimum turnaround times. Operating under a robust and extensive quality system. We are ISO 9001 registered and hold UKAS accreditation for a wide range of test procedures.

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations require that the health risk created by work involving hazardous substances should be assessed, and exposure to such substances then prevented or controlled. Staff working in many industries often encounter substances, which, if uncontrolled, could pose a health risk.

Monitoring Techniques

ESG’s occupational hygienists are able to undertake personal and background monitoring for a whole range of substances, using Health & Safety Executive published methods where they exist. Techniques include:

• Direct reading instruments
• Two-stage monitoring using sample pumps and collection media (adsorption tubes, filters, etc)
• Passive sampling (badges, tubes)

Why Monitor?

Monitoring should be conducted on a regular basis depending on the priority of risk:

• To assess personal exposure to hazardous substances
• To determine compliance with workplace exposure limits (WELs)
• To evaluate the effectiveness of control measures
• It may be required by the COSHH Regulations

Other Occupational Hygiene Services

ESG’s occupational hygiene expertise is not limited to occupational exposure monitoring. Other services include:

• Local Exhaust Ventilation performance and assessment
• Noise surveys, exposure assessment, dosimetry and control
• Hand-arm and whole body vibration assessment
• Radiation monitoring, protection advice, storage and disposal advice
• Health and safety training
• Workplace comfort conditions (and sick building syndrome investigations), including testing of temperature, relative humidity, airflow & ventilation, airborne bacteria and specific contaminants (ozone, formaldehyde, organic compounds)
• VDU assessments
• Lighting assessments
• Occupational hygiene audits

Hazardous Substances

A wide range of hazardous substances are used and/or generated in industry. Exposure to many of these can be assessed by monitoring. Frequently requested exercises include monitoring for:

• Welding fume (total inhalable particulates and specific metals)
• Diesel exhaust emissions (particulates, gases and organic components) in warehouses, depots, stations, and engineering possessions
• Paint fumes (organic solvents, isocyanates)
• Total inhalable and respirable particulates (from any dust generating activities)
• Wood dust (e.g. joinery workshops)
• Flour dust (e.g. in bakeries, food production and mills)
• Organic solvents encountered during numerous industrial processes (e.g. degreasing, adhesives, sealers, cleaning products, disinfectants)
• Lead particulates, especially during the sanding, needle-gunning and gritblasting of lead containing paints
• Metal fumes in ferrous and non-ferrous foundries, plating processes, etc
• Asbestos and other fibres (e.g. MMMF)
• Respirable crystalline silica, in quarries and from ballast/aggregate handling
• Acid and alkali mists from many industrial treatment processes
• Oil mists (mineral oils, water soluble cutting fluids, PCBs)
• Specific contaminants from ground disturbance of contaminated sites