The latest air quality sampling pumps from monitoring solutions firm Casella have been added to the Ashtead Technology fleet of instruments for measuring occupational exposure to airborne contaminants. “The Apex2 Pro is the most advanced sampling pump that we offer,” says Ashtead’s Josh Thomas. “Compact and lightweight, the Apex2 Pro is unobtrusive and offers extremely reliable flow through a variety of filters. The major new feature of this new instrument is its Bluetooth capability, which means that it can be monitored remotely with the Airwave App without disturbing the wearer, and with a built-in motion sensor, the accuracy and validity of results are significantly improved.”
Under the Workplace (Health Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, employers have a legal duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of employees. Furthermore, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to assess and control risks to protect their employees. A key element of this is the requirement to comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH). Under the COSHH Regulations 2002, employers need to either prevent or reduce workers’ exposure, so monitoring is essential for the determination of risk and the assessment of controls. Summarising, the Health and Safety Executive says that exposure measurement is required:
• For COSHH assessment, to help select the right controls
• Where there is a serious risk to health from inhalation
• To check that exposure limits are not exceeded
• To check the performance of exposure controls
• To help select the right respiratory protection equipment
• To check exposure following a change in a process
• To show any need for health surveillance; or
• When an inspector issues an ‘Improvement Notice’ requiring monitoring
The Apex2 Pro is fully compliant with ISO 13137:2013 Workplace Atmospheres, which provides independent assurance that the pump complies with the relevant performance requirements. In addition, all models of the Apex2 are certified Intrinsically Safe (IECEx), which means that they can be used in potentially explosive areas such as the oil and gas industry and in confined spaces.
The Apex2 Pro personal air sampling pump controls the flow of air very carefully to ensure that a known volume of air is sampled. Importantly, when monitoring for dusts, where the back pressure increases as dust is collected, the pump automatically maintains flow at the correct level, and the built-in motion sensor provides confirmation that the pump has been worn throughout the test; thereby increasing the reliability of results.
Dust monitoring is usually achieved by sampling air onto a filter, which is then weighed and the dust concentration calculated. Monitoring for gases and vapours uses the same air sampling pump, but generally at lower flow rates and using sorbent tubes or other media.
Further information on the Casella Apex2 Pro, and the full range of other occupational safety monitoring instruments, is available at www.ashtead-technology.com.
