Air Monitoring
Airborne contaminants can present a significant threat to employee safety and health, thus making air monitoring an important component of an effective safety and health program.
Basic Air Sampling
The employer must conduct monitoring during the initial site entry at uncontrolled hazardous waste sites to:
- identify and quantify airborne contaminants on-site and off-site,
- track changes in air contaminants that occur over the lifetime of the incident,
- ensure proper selection of work practices and engineering controls,
- determine the level of worker protection needed,
- assist in defining work zones,
- identify additional medical monitoring needs in any given area of the site,
The presence of hazardous materials at a site, as well as actions taken to address these materials, can cause the release of hazardous substances into the air. Hazardous atmospheres can be:
- Explosive: characterized by the presence of ignitable or explosive vapors, gases, aerosols, and dusts;
- Toxic: characterized by the presence of vapors, gases, particulates, and aerosols;
- Oxygen-deficient: characterized by the displacement of breathable air; or
- Radioactive: characterized by the presence of radioactive gases and aerosols.
The presence of one or more of these hazards is an important factor in determining subsequent actions that should be taken to mitigate the likelihood of an incident.
Airborne hazards can be predicted if the substance involved, its chemical and physical properties, and weather conditions are known. However, air monitoring is necessary to confirm predictions, to identify or measure contaminants, and to detect unknown air pollutants.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
4-1. Why must employers conduct air monitoring during response operations?
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