Dust Monitoring Services for Occupational Health and Safety

Lung disease and asthma are common problems suffered by workers exposed to a dusty work environment. Unfortunately, many people have had to live with deteriorating health and discomfort, but that should not be the case. South African companies are legally required to ensure that the health and safety of their workers is catered to. Health and safety professionals must detect, assess, and control particulate matter and dust in order to ensure compliance with occupational health and safety guidelines and limitations. Dust monitoring services can be handled in-house, or outsourced to a reliable occupational health and safety service provider.

Monitoring Dust in the Workplace

Dust monitoring services are essential. The size of the material particles will determine where the particle will settle in the body, and what sort of effect it will eventually have. The smaller the dust particle is, the deeper it will be able to penetrate into the respiratory system and lungs. It is also quite unfortunate that most of these particles cannot be seen with the naked eye, which means that only monitoring and testing can assess what the true dangers really are.

Occupational health and safety professionals have to ensure that the correct dust monitoring methods and systems are set in place to detect the various types and sizes of particulate matter. As you can imagine, the process becomes quite complicated. With the wrong dust monitoring services in place, the real dust problem could be completely overlooked.

Dust Production and Its Far-reaching Impact

Dust can be produced in many ways. For instance, dust problems can result from industrial activities, mining, drilling, fire, soil erosion, and much more. The combination of wind and dust can also have a negative impact on the surrounding community, not just on those in the immediate workplace. It is therefore important to set dust monitoring services in place that extend beyond just the workplace floor.

Protecting employees and the nearby communities is the legal and social responsibility of the business. Only certain levels of dust particles can be present in workplace air, and it is important to ensure that these levels are never exceeded.

Dust Monitoring Equipment and Methods

Dust monitoring services provided by occupational health and safety professionals are carried out meticulously, and with the correct equipment and techniques. In most instances, a selection of specialised dust monitoring equipment, such as air sampling pumps and filter cartridges are used to monitor dust content. Employees can and should also undergo regular medical tests (physical examinations) to determine the impact of the work environment on their health.

Sign Up for Dust Monitoring Services with IOH Solutions

If you would like to chat with one of our consultants about our professional dust monitoring services, and what to expect during the initial assessment and ongoing monitoring processes, we welcome you to get in touch with us. At IOH Solutions, we specialise in dust monitoring services. You can give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to assisting you further.