Particulate monitoring

“The key is understanding.”

Why real-time dust and silica monitoring technology?

Real time.

We hear it every day and it’s becoming a staple in everything we do. Whether it’s information on the weather or travel, valuable data relating to your health and lifestyle, or money and banking, our lives would be severely impacted without receiving real-time information, alerts and data. 

When it comes to health and safety in the workplace, real-time monitoring and real-time data is vital to managing control measures for exposure to hazardous substances, whether it be dust, gases or other substances. Real-time monitoring allows workplaces to see spikes in exposure do something about it. 

“Real-time monitoring is instant, in the moment, meaning you can do something about a problem and implement control measures.” – said Joe Marais, Occupational Hygienist and Product Development Manager at Trolex. “It allows you to try a new control measure and have a very quick indication of whether that has been successful or not in reducing the hazard.” 

When it comes to workplace health and safety, effective measures must be taken to protect workers, and real-time monitoring is the most effective way to provide this. “Real-time monitoring is a tool you can use in combination with the Hierarchy of Controls. Unfortunately, in certain circumstances like with crystalline silica, which is naturally occurring in so many materials, you can’t necessarily just eliminate it, and it can be quite difficult to substitute it.” 

“So, for the most part, you will need to introduce engineering controls and that’s where real-time monitoring comes in,” When carrying out an action that generates extremely large volumes of dust, or you know for a fact you’re being exposed to dust, you can introduce water suppression or other extraction methods to the activity to reduce your exposure and have an instant indication of whether the control measures have been effective.  

“If you’re able to incorporate real-time monitoring when applying the Hierarchy of Controls, you’ll quickly see whether what you’re doing to mitigate the risks of dust exposure is effective or not.” 

“You’re able to see the exposure concentration in real-time before the control measure is introduced, then once you introduce the control measure, you can immediately see if there is a drop in the exposure concentration.”  

Whilst real-time monitoring can support the decision making, implementation and surveillance of engineering controls, the effect this can have on entire workforces is also valuable. Part of the problem when it comes to introducing effective control measures is having the entire workforce understand the full extent of why it’s important to implement such measures and continue to follow the protocol surrounding it. 

“The key word is ‘understanding’. Do all workers truly understand why it’s being said when it comes to protecting themselves from hazardous substances or are they just listening to it and following instructions, unaware of whether they’re doing it right? Explaining something to someone so they can understand the long-term implications is the key. Or better, showing them first hand.”  

“Telling somebody in a backyard garage ‘You’re exposed to 20% of the crystalline silica exposure limit’ might not tell them anything useful. Putting it into a format where they can take it in, understand it and do something about it is where we can see real value and real-time monitoring gives us this.” 

“Showing someone, whilst they’re physically doing part of their job ‘this specific activity is causing x amount of dust’ and then showing them the changes in dust levels, in real time, after the introduction of control measures can be vital not only in increasing understanding for one worker, but awareness across the entire workforce.” 

With real-time monitoring and real-time data, you’re not only monitoring levels of hazardous substances as they happen but monitoring the effectiveness of any engineering controls and workplace safety as and when you need to, enticing others to understand and become aware of the importance of workplace health and safety. 

Real-time dust and silica monitoring

Learn more about how our real-time fixed, portable and personal dust and silica monitors  can help improve your safety processes and keep your workers safe from harmful particulates in the workplace today.

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    Real-time dust + silica monitoring

    AIR X Dust + Silica Monitoring Range

    Want to know the difference between our real-time dust and silica monitors?

    Trolex Real-Time Dust + Silica Monitoring Range

    With an estimated 1 million people dying globally from the inhalation of dust in occupational environments every year, now is the time to protect your workers. Real-time dust and silica monitoring provides instant alarms, alerting all workers at risk of dangerous dusk regardless of their application, processes or industry. 

    We’re continuously innovating our real-time dust monitoring technology to give you access to the information to effect change and keep your workers safe from hazardous respirable dusts. With a range of real-time dust monitoring options, we’re here to help you protect your workers. 

    Whether that is heavy-duty area monitoring for high dust loading environments, personal dust monitoring for individual monitoring needs, or silica monitoring for working environments with high respirable crystalline silica (RCS) content, such as stonemasonry, tunnelling or quarrying. 

    Our full dust monitoring comparison guide helps to identify the key aspects of each of our real-time dust monitors, highlighting the key USPs and capabilities of each product to help keep your workforce safe from harmful respirable particulates.  

    Area dust monitoring

    Controlling air pollution and the implications on global respiratory health

    ‘PM’ or particulate matter, also known as particle pollution is the term for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. 

    It’s estimated that air pollution is linked to 43,000 deaths per year in the UK. Worldwide, at least 7 million people die each year from exposure to air pollution, with 91% of the worldwide population living in locations where the air quality exceeded the World Health Organisations (WHO) air pollution guidelines.

    These guidelines state that that annual average concentrations of PM2.5 should not exceed 5 µg/m3 and PM10 should not exceed 15 µg/m3 (both for 24-hour periods). According to the WHO, ‘fine particulate matter at PM2.5 can penetrate through the lungs and further enter the body through the blood stream, affecting all major organs’. Exposure to dust at PM2.5 can cause serious disease to the respiratory system, such as lung cancer and COPD, and also can effect cardiovascular diseases, such as a stroke.

    The image below demonstrates PM2.5 and PM10 size in comparison to a single human hair and a grain of sand.

    The Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the UK government ministerial department for environment protection, have also highlighted the severity of exposure to air pollution. This growing concern for the UK government estimated in 2010 that the cost of health impacts of air pollution was likely to exceed estimates of £8bn to £20bn.

    Although between 2005 and 2022, the UK’s PM2.5 emissions decreased by 41%, emission levels have been relatively steady with small annual fluctuations in the last decade. Industrial combustion is a major source of PM emissions, as well as emissions from industrial production also playing a major part, which can be linked to heavy-dust industry where hazardous particulates can become airborne. Despite some reductions in PM emissions, the threat still very much remains.

    REAL-TIME DUST MONITORING

    A solution to this is real-time dust monitoring. Real-time particulate monitoring allows people in heavy dust loading environments, including industrial applications, to not only understand, but alert them instantaneously when they are exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution. For example, our AIR XD Dust Monitor can alert people in real-time when legislative levels of µg/m3 are breached, over a time-weighted average (TWA) 8-hour period, for both PM2.5 and PM10.

    This technology not only offers a simple solution to individuals at high risk of exposure to air pollution by providing instant alerts, but also can help to prevent exposure in the future, as at-risk individuals can learn exactly when and where exposure to air pollution is highest and will likely occur. Thanks to real-time monitoring, both in the UK and Worldwide, we can reduce exposure to air pollution.

    Real-time, fixed area monitoring

    Learn more about our real-time fixed total dust area monitor, AIR XD, can help improve your safety processes  and keep your workers safe from harmful dust today.

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      Silica dust monitoring

      Using real-time silica monitoring technology to combat occupational silicosis

      The AIR XS Silica Monitor leverages cutting-edge Optical Refraction Technology (ORT) to enhance workplace safety by providing real-time monitoring of respirable crystalline silica (RCS). Unlike traditional particle monitors, AIR XS distinguishes and measures RCS content, enabling immediate detection and response to harmful silica dust levels. This technology is crucial in combating occupational lung diseases such as silicosis, which affects millions of workers globally.

      Current monitoring methods, like gravimetric sampling, are time-consuming and often deliver results too late to prevent exposure. In contrast, real-time silica monitoring offers immediate data, significantly reducing the risk of occupational silicosis by enabling prompt action to mitigate hazardous conditions. The importance of such real-time data is highlighted by cases like Joanna McNeill’s, who developed silicosis at the age of just 36. Her story, like many others underscores the necessity for continuous monitoring to protect workers from the threat of silicosis, regardless of their occupational environment.

      Our real-time RCS monitor, AIR XS provides a real-time solution to this threat. Workers are not only alarmed and alerted when silica levels exceed legislative limits but can work to best practices by implementing AIR XS with the Hierarchy of Controls, supporting proactive measures to eliminate or minimise exposure to RCS. This move to real-time monitoring as a solution to the threat of silicosis has also been noticed by governing bodies, like the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Respiratory Health.

      Real-time silica dust monitoring

      Learn more about our real-time fixed silica dust monitor, AIR XS, can help improve your safety processes and keep your workers safe from harmful RCS today.

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        Personal dust monitoring

        How XD1+ is integrated with the Reactec Ecosystem

        We’re excited to bring to the market our XD1+ Personal Dust Monitor as a connected dust monitor with the Reactec Ecosystem.

        The Reactec Ecosystem for workplace exposure to hazards includes an IoT gateway, Reactec’s workplace wearable RASOR for secure data transmission, an RFID identity card to personalise the collected dust data and the cloud-based Reactec Analytics software for informative and automatic data dissemination.

        RASOR is a communications gateway with integrated SIM and GPS technology to gather data seamlessly from the XD1+ and present it live, personalised and position tracked data to remote line managers via a browser.

        Our XD1+ Personal Dust Monitor can be easily connected with RASOR in two different modes for both single worker use and for pairing a number of XD1+   devices to a RASOR connected in hub mode, allowing for flexibility when working, but still providing vital information of worker exposure which can be analysed and interrogated on Reactec’s Analytics platform.

        By leveraging revolutionary real-time personal monitoring technology with location tracking, automatic data collection and powerful data analytics, employers can now control their worker’s exposure to harmful respirable dust like never before and reduce these occupational diseases thanks to connected XD1+ and Reactec Ecosystem.

        Check our guide for details on the key modes of pairing XD1+ with the Reactec Ecosystem, a run-through of how to connect your XD1+ in these different modes and the benefits of each type of connectivity.

        Personal dust monitoring technology

        Learn more about our real-time personal dust monitor, XD1+, can help improve your safety processes and keep your workers safe from harmful respirable dust today.

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          Personal dust monitoring

          British stone manufacturers introduce real-time dust monitoring technology trial across workforce

          A manufacturer of prestigious natural stone, Burlington Stone have quarried for over 200 years across the English Lake District, extracting and crafting a diverse range of signature British natural slate and stone products.

          Individuals across their workforce are often exposed to hazardous substances, most notably airborne dust, including silica dust. Burlington Stone trialed two XD1+ devices on their site for a month to see how real-time, personal dust monitoring would improve their safety processes.

          After the trial, we spoke to Health and Safety Manager, Peter Walker, about the success of the trial and some of the major benefits which Burlington Stone’s workforce found deploying XD1+ Personal Dust Monitor units in their day-to-day processes.

          Real-time personal dust monitoring

          Learn more about our real-time personal dust monitor, XD1+, can help improve your safety processes and keep your workers safe from harmful respirable dust today.

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            TX8100

            AIR XS Silica Monitor: Not just another particle counter

            Launched in 2022, the AIR XS Silica Monitor isn’t like other silica monitors on the market. If you’ve been in the Health and Safety space, it’s likely you’ll know about Optical Particle Counter (OPC), also known as “light-scattering”; but our patented AIR XS isn’t just another OPC.

            Unlike traditional Optical Particle Counters (OPCs) that rely on light scattering and interruptions to deduce particle size and quantity, the patented Optical Refraction Technology (ORT) used in the AIR XS shines a laser through each particle, capturing its refraction on multiple sensors.

            In our blog below, we reference Pink Floyd’s 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon to explain one way to how ORT works. It’s not exact by any means but the refraction of the light coming out of the prism shows an example of how light refracts, similar to a crystalline particle.

            Real-time dust and silica monitoring range

            Image of AIR XS Silica Monitor
            AIR XS Silica Monitor

            Image of XD1+ Personal Dust Monitor
            XD1+ Personal Dust Monitor

            Image of AIR XD Dust Monitor
            AIR XD Dust Monitor

            Image of XD ONE Portable Dust Monitor
            XD ONE Portable Dust Monitor

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              Leading safety technology to future-proof the tunnelling industry

              Gas detection technology to modernise the tunnelling industry

              Did you make it to the BTS 2020+1 Conference and Exhibition in London at the end of September? 800+ tunnelling professionals in attendance and 55+ global tunnelling brands exhibiting over two days of serious tunnel talk.

              If you did, then you’ll probably be aware that while discussions amongst tunnelling design, construction, and operation and maintenance professionals were initially concerned that the number of UK tunnelling projects seem to be in decline, what actually emerged from the event was a feeling of optimism.

              With more London Underground projects in the pipeline, other UK underground train projects planned and talk turning to creative ways that tunnelling can be used to mitigate the effects of climate change – what began as a rather gloomy outlook soon turned far more positive as the conversations turned to fresh opportunities.

              The Toronto example

              Take the scale and success of Toronto’s PATH for example. This gargantuan tunnelling project includes:

              • 30 kilometres of restaurants, shopping, services and entertainment
              • Six subway stations, three major department stores, nine hotels, and Toronto’s busiest transit hub – Union Station
              • Accommodating more than 200,000 business-day commuters as well as tourists and residents
              • 3.7 million square feet of retail space 
              • 1,200 restaurants, shops and services $1.7 billion in sales annually
              • 4,600 jobs are located in the PATH
              • $271+ million in federal, provincial, and municipal tax revenue annually

              Constructed over the last 100 years to allow the city to function successfully in the face of bitterly cold winters with huge volumes of snowfall, PATH shows that there’s clearly potential for innovative problem solving to create similar underground living, working and socialising environments. 

              Instead of protecting people from the effects of extreme cold, new designs might protect us from extreme heat as the climate emergency gathers pace.

              Endless tunnelling possibilities

              The possibilities are endless. But with all that opportunity, of course, comes risk. Which is why team Trolex has been working so hard to continually evolve the advanced safety capabilities of our Sentro 8, gas detection technology.

              The Trolex Sentro 8

              Internationally approved and certified, the Sentro 8 is designed to function in the world’s most dangerous working environments, allowing you to scan for up to eight different gases simultaneously. 

              In short: All the detection you need for complex mining and industrial applications in a single device. 

              Group 1 IS (intrinsically safe) compliant – low power consumption, zero sparking and certified for the most dangerous of industrial environments, the Sentro 8 protects your workers from a broad range of environmental threats and also alerts you to ambient changes. 

              • Multi-gas detection – Scan for up to eight different gases simultaneously.
              • Multi-purpose – Quickly configure up to four ports for a range of ambient temperature, ventilation, air velocity or other environmental monitoring.
              • Real-time – Quick-fit, pre-calibrated input sensing ‘eModules’ to detect a range of toxic and flammable gases in real-time.
              • Scalable – Network your SensorStations to a master computer and expand the system as your site grows.

              When safety demands that you monitor for multiple gasses or other environmental conditions – all at the same time – use the Trolex Sentro 8.

              Future-proofing the tunnelling industry

              Whatever the challenge. Wherever in the tunnelling world that challenge exists. Whenever in the future that challenge presents itself – we’re ready to take it on – to protect your workers from dangerous gases and particulates and to make tunnelling as safe as it can possibly be. 

              Contact us today using the contact form below and we’ll tell you everything you need to know about real-time toxic and flammable gas detection and how to keep your people safe on your next tunnelling project.

              The importance of reading the room

              The importance of reading the room

              When it comes to occupational health and safety, new real-time dust monitoring such as the XD ONE Portable Dust Monitor can help to make decisions for the hierarchy of controls. 

              In this e-book we explain how the arrival of affordable, real-time monitoring, and both wearable and portable dust monitoring technologies promote this new awareness of the dangers of dust in a far broader range of working environments. 

              Employers and the health and safety community are now shifting their attention. Where they’ve traditionally focused on safety, they now look at the major impacts on long-term health associated with working in hazardous environments. 

              There’s also an increasing awareness of the range of industries that can present long-term health hazards through the inhalation of dangerous dust particles, from traditional industrial environments to commercial activities. 

              The HSE are reporting an estimated 1.4 million people in the UK report ‘lung or breathing problems that were caused or made worse by work’ – and whilst it’s great that people are starting to pay more attention to this issue, there’s plenty of room for improvement. 

              Whilst financial costs of lung diseases effect both businesses and individuals, respiratory diseases are more than just an economic drain. It’s a personal tragedy, and there are a whole raft of occupations and jobs where people are exposed to dangerous dust across the world. 

              However, through the hierarchy of controls, businesses can determine the most effective solutions in order to keep workers protected from dangerous dust exposure. 

              Knowing that dangerous dust exists, knowing its effects are potentially lethal, and knowing that the damage it causes is preventable, only takes you so far. Knowing how to prevent that harm is what matters, and this is how the hierarchy of controls can help businesses become more efficient, by understanding how effective each method is in benefitting the workforce. 

              Fortunately, new accurate, real-time, fixed, wearable and portable dust and silica monitoring sensors are leading the detection charge across every use case. By precisely reading the real-time dust load in any given environment, and the enemy now ‘visible’, businesses can begin to apply the hierarchy of controls in a far more meaningful way. 

              XD ONE vs other dust monitors on the market

              An independent UK agency responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare, and for research into occupational risks in Great Britain, carried out a series of tests on three XD One Portable Dust Monitor units. 

              They compared them to the following dust monitors: Casella CEL-712 Microdust Pro, a Thermo Scientific MIE Personal DataRam (pDR) 1500, a TSI SidePak AM510. 

              The key elements of the testing were as follows: 

              • Tests were carried out in a calm air chamber. 
              • The tests used Arizona road dust, the industry standard for accuracy measurements and calibration. 
              • Fixed Concentration tests were performed at 2 mg/m³, 5 mg/m³ and 11 mg/m³. 
              • Stepped Concentration tests were performed moving from 2 mg/m³ to 5 mg/m³ and finally to 11 mg/m³. 
              • Simultaneous readings were taken using laboratory grade gravimetric sampling (TIOM and GK 2.69) to provide baseline accurate data from which to compare the portable units.

              The results from the independent testing demonstrated that the XD ONE performs better than other personal dust monitors on the market. There were five critical messages from the testing as outlined below: 

              • The XD ONE performs as well as or better than the rival products in accurately monitoring for respirable dust. 
              • The tests found that the XD ONE unit’s performance was consistent between the XD ONE units, demonstrating that the good performance was consistent and repeatable. 
              • The XD ONE was consistent with laboratory grade gravimetric sampling units (the current industry standard, and often regulated methodology) at the tested dust levels. 
              • The XD ONE also performed as well or better than competitor products in ‘stepped-tests’ where the dust concentration was changed over time. 
              • The XD ONE is smaller, lighter, less fiddly and a single self-contained unit.