How Often Should Breathing Air Be Tested?

According to HSE and U.K. laws and regulations, it is important to keep breathing air quality maintained through regular checks and testing of equipment and the compressed air supply.

The U.K. Health and Safety guidelines say that breathing air tests should be carried out at intervals of every three months. Moreover, employers must ensure that contaminants are not affecting the quality of air supplied by mobile air compressor systems.

As per the law, compressed air used for breathing must comply with the levels of contamination permissible outlined in EN 12021.

Reusable Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) should be tested every month, or every three months in case of less usage while RPE tests should be recorded and these records should be kept for five years.

What Is Air Quality Testing?

Breathing air quality testing is for those workers who are using compressed air lines or cylinder respiratory equipment. Breathing air testing provides reassurance that the air they are breathing is adequately safe in the harsh and dangerous working environment.

According to AS1715:2009 Selection, one should use and maintain respiratory protection equipment guidelines to protect themselves from hazards.

Breathing air tests are used in many industries to allow workers to breathe clean air while operating in challenging environments.

A workplace environment is considered as challenging and harsh when: 

• There is not sufficient oxygen to breath
• There is the existence of gases or vapours including carbon monoxide, chlorine and solvent vapour
• There are solid airborne particles like dust, asbestos, bacteria and fungal spores
• There are liquid particles like spray paint, pesticides or oil mist

What Are The Employer’s Responsibilities?

According to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (SI 2002/2677), employers are legally required to look after the health and safety of their workers and anyone using breathing equipment should be trained and supervised to do so

Additionally, employers have to make sure that the equipment used for the job is suitable for employees considering their face shapes and if an employee has facial hair or wears glasses.

What Are The Things That Need To Be Tested In Breathing Air Tests?

When an employer carries out a breathing air test, it should meet the minimum requirements of BS EN 12021. It means that:

Compressed air for breathing apparatus should not contain any contaminants that cause toxic or harmful effects.

When there are contaminants in the air, all contaminants should be kept to a minimum level and below the national exposure limit

When there is more than one contaminant at a place, combined effects of contaminants should be taken into consideration

Contamination in air supply such as oil, water and dust particles develops over time and when it is used for industrial purposes it also affects the effectiveness of a machine and risks breakdowns.

It is essential to keep the air supply clean as it is directly connected to the health and safety of employees working in contaminated air. It is highly recommended that businesses should regularly check and maintain air compressors especially when they move around environments frequently.

How Many Types of Filter There and How Breathing Air Is Tested?

There are mainly two types of filters: particle filters and gas/vapour filters. You should use filters based on your working environment and H&S consultant recommendations.

According to government guidelines breathing air can be tested by: 

• Simple colour change tubes
• On-line gas testers
• Sample collection for laboratory analysis

Takeaway:

Working in a contaminated workplace requires employees to follow health and safety guidelines. It is the duty of employers to ensure that their employees are not harmed by contaminated air. Following U.K. regulations for breathing air, testing is advisable for all businesses.

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