Healthy air in the workplace in 5 steps thanks to sensor technology

Traditional measurement methods provide an average exposure to hazardous substances over the measurement period. To arrive at results, the samples need to be analysed in a laboratory. This is a reliable, but also costly and time-consuming method, which also fails to provide insight into peak exposures and variations over time. This makes it impossible to intervene immediately and difficult to determine where, when, and why exposure occurs.

We can now also measure increasing numbers of substances using sensors. These have the advantage that they measure exposure levels in real time, thus providing information on when exposure occurs. In addition, for each individual, they can give a signal when a certain exposure limit is in danger of being exceeded. Numerous portable and wearable sensors are now available for measuring UFPs – respirable or inhalable particles.

The great advantage of measuring exposure in high resolution using sensors is that it provides information on when exposure occurs. For example, when measurements are made in real time, a signal will be given when a limit is being exceeded, allowing the employee to take immediate action.

This prevents damage to health and is essential for employees who have already suffered minor health damage.

By analysing the sensor data collected on our data platform, we can discover where, when, and why exposure occurs.

We do so by combining sensor data with context information obtained through observations, time and activity logs, or deployment of, for example, context sensors or Video Exposure Monitoring (VEM). This enables us to effectively identify sources, activities, or conditions that cause overexposure. In addition, we can create dynamic concentration maps based on sensor data, showing the concentration trend in a room over time. This input is also very valuable for making workplaces healthier, for example by taking organisational measures.

Combining sensor data accurately makes it possible to identify the cause of exposure. We then recommend precisely targeted measures to improve air quality. For example, adjusting work procedures or cleaning methods can sometimes be enough to reduce exposure to harmful substances. Additional ventilation can keep a production area safe by preventing the concentration of a hazardous substance from increasing. This could even be sensor-controlled. In other cases, local technical measures or measures that influence behaviour may be needed to reduce exposures.

The impact of implemented measures is currently rarely measured, but sensors make follow-up measurements easy to perform. By comparing exposure profiles from before and after a measure, the effect of the measure on exposure or on the concentration in the air can immediately be seen. If effectiveness proves too low to ensure healthy workplaces, timely adjustments can be made by introducing additional measures.