Workplace dust monitoring
Breathing in dust at work can harm the lungs over time. It is a particular concern in construction, quarrying, engineered stone, woodworking and food processing. Measuring how much dust your workers are exposed to is the first step in protecting them, and part of your duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
A MAIOH-qualified occupational hygienist fits workers with small, calibrated sampling pumps that collect dust from the air they breathe. Inhalable dust is collected with IOM samplers and respirable dust with cyclones. The samples are weighed and analysed by IANZ-accredited partner laboratories.
What we monitor
- Inhalable dust: all the dust breathed in through the nose and mouth (AS/NZS 3640)
- Respirable dust: the fine part that reaches deep into the lungs (AS 2985)
- Respirable crystalline silica (RCS)
- Wood dust (hardwood and softwood)
- Grain and flour dust
- Area samples to show where dust is coming from
Silica
Silica dust is a priority for WorkSafe, especially in engineered stone and construction. The workplace exposure standard for respirable crystalline silica is 0.025 mg/m³, averaged over an 8-hour day. Our sampling shows whether your workers are below that limit and whether your controls are working.