Real-time Dust Monitoring at Construction sites – Why is it Important?
Construction Site Dust Monitoring is Essential for Dust Control & Management
Construction projects are essential to building new infrastructure, renovating buildings, constructing residential and non-residential structures. However, it is also one of the primary causes of air pollution. Construction projects discharge a large amount of airborne particulate matter into the environment, which causes harm, not only to construction workers but can also affect the health and safety of residents living near the construction site.
Types of dust that are commonly found at construction sites include wood dust, silica dust and concrete dust. All of which can cause irreversible damage to the lungs, if exposed for a prolonged period.
Air quality and dust monitoring is required to identify and understand the hazards and risks of dust at each construction site so that effective management and dust controls can be implemented to protect construction workers and neighbouring residents.
How to Optimise Construction Site Operations with Real-time Data
Conventional methods of dust monitoring typically provide the total exposure of particulates over a fixed monitoring period. Real-time dust monitors like the AirMetER-DX 2-Fraction Optical Particle Counter provide continuous monitoring with time-stamped data which can be used to link raised levels of respirable particulates to a particular activity or process.This equips project owners to make quick and informed decisions on dust exposure, control, and management. Real-time dust monitors provide accurate real-time dust measurement data to project managers, safety professionals and authorities, so they are assured the construction project is operating within acceptable dust control limits.
The AirMetER-DX Dust Monitor employs optical partial counting technology to dynamically count and size airborne particles of PM2.5, PM10 and PM100 in real-time. By using a real-time dust monitor, project managers can quickly analyse dust levels and make adjustments to their dust controls to ensure dust control and suppression measures are effectively reducing risk. Site managers and operators can easily access dust monitoring logs via the online LiveSense portal to assess the effect of the improvements made and readjust if necessary. The ER-DX is also ideal for round-the-clock monitoring as it has a data logging capacity at a minimum of 365 days at one-minute intervals and features a built-in log and forward capability to capture 1 week of operation in the event of a network disruption.
Some tasks contribute to more dust than others. With a real-time dust monitor, these tasks can be identified, and adjustments can be made to reduce and suppress dust levels. Workers who are performing the same tasks, in the same location can also be exposed to varying levels of dust. With this information, the tasks can be reviewed, and best practices implemented to reduce the health risks to the worker.
With continuous monitoring work areas can be assessed prior to or throughout the workday to determine which areas display high dust levels, assess if the controls are adequate or if an exclusion zone should be implemented to reduce the dust exposure to workers. Customisable alerts can be set on the AirMetER-DX to notify workers when dust levels are approaching a set pre-determined level. With continuous monitoring and remote data access of logs, it is easy to identify trends such as increased dust levels during a certain time of day or isolate activities that produce excessive dust.
How Effective are your Dust Controls?
A real-time dust monitoring solution is an important part of any infrastructure project and far more effective than conventional dust monitors. Data obtained from real-time dust monitors is vital for operators to make quick decisions, remain compliant and protect workers and the community from dust hazards.
The AirMetER-DX is a low-cost real-time dust monitor. Housed in a weather-resistant enclosure, it is ideal for round-the-clock outdoor monitoring. Certified Australian Made, the ER-DX is built to last harsh environments and according to Australian standards.
