However you look at it, dust is used by many people as a measure of cleanliness. For the majority of our work environments, the dust types we find are no different from that in our homes, yet the focus on aspects such as air conditioning and ventilation systems as "generators of dust" is common, but mostly wrong.
In well maintained and managed buildings with good, well specified and fitted filtration, the quality of air being delivered by air handling units is significantly better than the quality of air outside the premises. Even at sizes of 5 microns and above (a micron is 1,000th of a millimetre so it is small), it is not uncommon to achieve a 90% reduction in particle numbers between pre and post filter readings.
Your location and dust load composition will play a bearing on findings, with aspects such as building work adjacent to your property, seasonal pollen load and road usage all having an effect. The standards of performed maintenance are also critical in achieving and preserving air quality.
Most of the contaminants we find in the indoor environment are as a consequence of our use of it and typically include, paper dust, fibres from clothes and furnishings and skin scales and hair (not a pleasant thought but true).
At Assurity Consulting we can perform extensive, independent testing and inspection of your air handling plant and indoor environment to satisfy Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002, Workplace (Health Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 - Regulation 6 requirements, as well as that for EH40 2007 occupational exposure limits, to name but three. You can benefit from:
- Filtration efficiency testing
- Gravimetric weight dust analysis (circulating and supply air)
- Particle count analysis (circulating and supply air)
- Air handling and terminal unit inspections
- Dust analysis surface sample work