How Do I Make Sure I Am Meeting OSHA PEL’s?

The first step in meeting a PEL is to understand your current air quality. Doing an air quality audit allows you to get a comprehensive, quantitative analysis of your air quality. Independent, licensed, third party professionals—usually industrial hygienists—perform this service by setting up monitors throughout your facility to collect and analyze air quality data. They can also attach monitors to workers’ uniforms to test exposure in the breathing zone. An air quality audit collects information on the volume of contaminants, toxicity and when and where air quality problems are occurring. An audit comes with a full report which can be a very useful tool in creating an air quality strategy—or in documenting the exceptional air quality you might already have!

If your air quality exceeds the PEL for any of the substances OSHA regulates, there are solutions. Increasing ventilation can cut contaminants and lower workers’ exposure levels. Adding ambient filtration would also achieve this goal while avoiding the high energy costs associated with ventilation’s need for heating or cooling your makeup air. If a more intensive solution is needed, a source capture system could be installed where the fumes or dust are generated. Source capture is the most efficient means of reducing exposure levels and meeting OSHA PEL’s. You can learn more about these options here.

The air quality experts at RoboVent understand how to meet any air quality goal in the most cost-effective way possible. They discuss with you the variables involved—airflow, filter media, targeted substances, equipment location and more—and prescribe solutions. They understand regulations and PEL’s as well as they do blower speeds and filter types.