Industrial Air Monitoring

What is industrial air monitoring?

Airborne contaminants monitoring measures the airborne concentration of dusts, fumes, vapours, mists and gases generated by industrial processes that workers may breathe in during normal operations. It quantifies real personal exposure so employers can judge whether existing controls are adequate.

IndustrialAirMonitoring.uk provides independent industrial air monitoring across manufacturing, construction, engineering, warehousing, process and chemical sites throughout the UK. Our occupational hygienists deliver defensible exposure data that demonstrates compliance with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) and the workplace exposure limits set out in HSE guidance note EH40.

Industrial air quality monitoring is the foundation of a defensible occupational hygiene programme. It tells you which substances are present, at what concentration, and whether your control measures are actually working in day-to-day operation rather than just on paper.

Why industrial air monitoring matters

Under COSHH Regulation 10, employers must monitor exposure to hazardous substances where it is needed to protect health, where a workplace exposure limit could be exceeded, or where control measures need to be verified. Airborne contaminants monitoring provides the objective evidence that satisfies this duty.

Uncontrolled exposure to airborne contaminants is linked to occupational lung disease, occupational asthma, chemical poisoning and long-term respiratory harm. Beyond the legal duty, robust monitoring protects your workforce, reduces the risk of enforcement action and civil claims, and gives insurers and clients confidence that exposure is being actively managed.

How we carry out industrial air monitoring

We measure exposure using calibrated personal sampling pumps and direct-reading instruments selected for each contaminant, following the recognised MDHS methods & BS EN 689 methodology. Personal samplers are worn in the breathing zone for a representative full shift to derive an 8-hour time-weighted average, while static (background) samples help map contaminant sources across the workplace.

Samples are analysed by an accredited laboratory and the results compared with the relevant occupational exposure limit. Where short-term peaks are a concern we add 15-minute short-term exposure limit (STEL) sampling, so both the chronic and acute risk picture is captured.

Standards, limits and reporting

Airborne contaminants is controlled to as low as is reasonably practicable, with sampling benchmarked against published occupational and in-house standards. We assess compliance using the BS EN 689 statistical decision framework, which accounts for exposure variability rather than relying on a single result.

Your report sets out the measured concentrations, the compliance position, the adequacy of existing controls such as local exhaust ventilation, and a recommended re-monitoring interval. It is written to be understood by managers and to satisfy HSE inspectors, auditors and insurers.

Our industrial air monitoring process

Our industrial air monitoring programmes follow a structured, four-stage workflow so the results stand up to scrutiny. Request monitoring or book a site assessment to begin.

1Scoping & site survey. We review your processes, COSHH assessments and previous industrial air monitoring data, then plan a representative sampling strategy using BS EN 689 similar exposure groups.
2On-site sampling. Qualified occupational hygienists carry out calibrated breathing-zone and static measurements across a representative shift, with full chain-of-custody documentation.
3Accredited analysis. Samples are analysed using the relevant MDHS / ISO laboratory method and the results are compared against the applicable workplace exposure limit.
4Reporting & recommendations. You receive a clear exposure report with compliance status, control recommendations and a re-monitoring interval — defensible evidence for HSE, insurers and auditors.

Frequently asked questions

What does industrial air monitoring measure?

It measures the concentration of airborne contaminants — dust, fume, vapour, mist and gas — in a worker's breathing zone and across the workplace, so exposure can be compared against workplace exposure limits.

Is industrial air monitoring a legal requirement?

Where COSHH applies, Regulation 10 requires exposure monitoring when needed to protect health, when a limit could be exceeded, or to confirm controls are effective. For many industrial processes this makes monitoring effectively mandatory.

How often should we monitor?

Typically at least annually, after any process or control change, and more frequently for high-risk substances. We recommend an interval in every report based on your measured results.