6. Measurement external exposure
Background
If an exposure estimate is not clearly very high or very low, compared to a pre-set limit value, it may be necessary to proceed with measurements. The most commonly performedexposure measurement is of course that of exposure in the breathing zone of the worker, but also for skin exposure measurement techniques exist. In Belgium one needs to evaluate exposure, according to the KB Chemical agents, and to test against the limit value. This can, for example, be done by measurements in the breathing zone of the worker. Suchmeasurements should be done by a government-approved laboratory.
Legislation
- KB Chemical agents (11/03/2002) (Dutch)
- KB Carcinogenic and mutagenic agents (02/12/1993) (Dutch)
- List approved laboratories (Dutch)
Standards
- NBN EN 689:1995 Workplace atmospheres - Guidance for the assessment of exposure by inhalation to chemical agents for comparison with limit values and measurement strategy
- NBN EN 481:1993 Workplace atmospheres - Size fraction definitions for measurement of airborne particles
- NBN EN 13205:2002 Workplace atmospheres - Assessment of performance of instruments for measurement of airborne particle concentrations
- NBN EN 482:2021 Workplace exposure - General requirements for the performance of procedures for the measurement of chemical agents
- NBN EN 838:2010 Workplace exposure - Procedures for measuring gases and vapours using diffusive samplers - Requirements and test methods
- NBN EN 1076:2010 Workplace exposure - Procedures for measuring gases and vapours using pumped samplers - Requirements and test methods
- NBN EN 1231:1997 Workplace atmospheres - Short term detector tube measurement systems - Requirements and test methods
- NBN EN 1232:1997 Workplace atmospheres - Pumps for personal sampling of chemical agents - Requirements and test methods
- NBN EN 1540:2012 Workplace exposure - Terminology
- NBN EN 45544-1 tot -4:2000 Workplace atmospheres - Electrical apparatus used for the direct detection and direct concentration measurement of toxic gases and vapours
Documentation
- BSOH Consensus EN 689:2018 April 2022
- BAUA Technical rules for Hazardous Substances (English) (German)
- HSE Methods for the Determination of Hazardous Substances (MDHS)
- HSE Monitoring strategies for toxic substances
- IRSST Sampling Guide for Air Contaminants in the Workplace
- NVvA-BOHS Testing Compliance with Occupational Exposure Limits for Airborne Substances
- NVvA Establishing data of individual exposure measurements on the workplace (Dutch)
Tools
- CEHD database of OSHA with 15 years of on-the-job exposure to chemicals in the U.S., under certain conditions useful for benchmarking
- GESTIS analytical methods
- INRS Métropol (French) database analytical methods
- IRSST Substance Records from the Workplace Air Contaminant Sampling Guide (French)
- NIOSH manual of analytical methods
Websites
- http://www.osha.gov/ has a section on sampling and analytical methods
- http://www.employment.belgium.be/ has a specific page on chemical agents (Dutch)
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