Air Monitoring &
Exposure Assessments
Depending on the processes involved in manufacturing or other work-related tasks, the air your employees breathe can become polluted with contaminants that pose serious health risks, especially to those employees who work indoors. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a major concern for many companies.
According to OSHA, poor IAQ has been linked to symptoms like headaches, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs as well as being associated with specific diseases.
Air Monitoring
The first step in identifying the company's indoor air quality is to perform air monitoring to determine if any contaminants are present in your employees' work area(s).
We help our clients assess the risks of poor IAQ through air monitoring. Using Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines and standards set forth by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), we conduct time-weighted-average (TWA) and spot monitoring for client-specific contaminants to identify air contaminants and whether they fall within acceptable limits.
Monitoring results are provided in a final report and can be integrated into an industrial hygiene (IH) management plan. We also assist clients in the development and maintenance of their company’s IH plan to ensure regulatory compliance.
Exposure Assessments
Any time an employee is involved with work that presents a respiratory hazard or is required
by your company to wear a respirator, an exposure assessment must be conducted. STEP conducts exposure assessments to help clients characterize the nature and magnitude of employee exposures to respiratory hazards.
The following are examples of when you should consider conducting an exposure assessment. This is just a guideline, and not a comprehensive list:
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When OSHA has a substance specific standard (e.g., lead, methylene chloride).
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When employees notice symptoms (e.g., irritation, odor) or complain of respiratory health effects.
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When the workplace contains visible emissions (e.g., fumes, dust, aerosols).
At the completion of the assessment, we make equipment recommendations to help ensure employees are properly protected from contaminants that are present in the workplace. An exposure assessment must be completed prior to recommending employee equipment.