Personal air sampling uses a lightweight pump worn by the worker, with the sampling head clipped on the lapel within the breathing zone. It captures the air the person actually inhales as they move through their tasks.
01
What personal air sampling is
02
Why it beats static sampling
A fixed (static) monitor only describes one point in the room. Personal sampling follows the worker, capturing the high-exposure moments that occur close to the source. That is why compliance with workplace exposure limits is judged on personal results.
03
How the result is calculated
The collected mass is divided by the volume of air sampled to give a concentration, then time-weighted over the shift to produce the 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). Where a substance has a short-term limit, separate 15-minute samples are taken.
04
Similar exposure groups
Rather than sampling everyone, workers are grouped by job and exposure into similar exposure groups under BS EN 689; a representative sample then describes the whole group with statistical confidence.
05
Frequently asked questions
Does personal sampling disturb the worker?
No — the pump is small and belt-mounted, and the worker carries on their normal duties throughout.
How many workers need sampling?
Enough to represent each similar exposure group reliably; BS EN 689 guides how many samples are needed.