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Atmospheric Contaminant Monitoring

Measure what matters. Protect what cannot be recovered.

The air workers breathe is invisible – but its composition is not unknowable.

Atmospheric contaminant monitoring is the science of measuring what is in the air at your workplace, comparing those measurements against occupational exposure standards and using that information to protect the health of your workforce. It is also, in many jurisdictions and for many hazards, a statutory obligation.

RED OHMS Group provides comprehensive atmospheric contaminant monitoring services across the full range of airborne hazards encountered in mining, processing, manufacturing, construction and laboratory environments. Our team of Certified Occupational Hygienists and qualified sampling professionals use accredited methods, validated analytical laboratories and scientifically defensible sampling strategies to deliver results you can rely on – whether for regulatory reporting, internal risk management, or legal proceedings.

Monitoring alone is not the end point. Our hygienists interpret results in context, identify the occupational hygiene significance of individual and group exposure profiles, recommend control measures where exposures are unacceptable and support you through any required regulatory reporting.

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Capabilities

Personal and area sampling for total inhalable and respirable dust fractions, quantified gravimetrically and reported against applicable WES. Critical for operations involving earthworks, drilling, blasting, crushing, milling and materials handling.

Personal air sampling and laboratory analysis (XRD and IR methods) for quartz, cristobalite and tridymite fractions. Reported against the 0.05 mg/m³ WES in force across Australian jurisdictions. Essential for mining, quarrying, construction and any work disturbing silica-bearing rock or manufactured stone.

Characterisation of welding fume composition including hexavalent chromium, manganese, nickel and total fume, using personal air sampling. Critical in fabrication, maintenance and manufacturing environments.

Personal and area sampling for elemental carbon (EC) as a surrogate for DPM, the primary method endorsed by DEMIRS for compliance monitoring against the 0.1 mg/m³ WES in WA mining operations.

Sampling and laboratory analysis for a broad range of organic vapours and aerosols, including solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons, benzene and process chemicals. Applicable to painting, coating, degreasing, refinery and chemical handling operations.

Where monitoring results trigger reporting obligations under DEMIRS, NOPSEMA, or state WHS regulators, RED OHMS can prepare and submit compliant reports on your behalf or provide the data packages required.

Face velocity measurement, containment testing and performance evaluation of laboratory fume hoods and industrial local exhaust ventilation (LEV) systems to AS 2243 and relevant standards. Includes pre-commissioning and periodic re-testing.

A Note on Evolving Exposure Standards

Workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants continue to tighten.

The RCS WES was halved to 0.05 mg/m³ in 2020. A new, significantly lower WES for DPM is proposed to take effect in December 2026. Organisations that are currently monitoring and controlling exposures in good faith may find that future standard changes place them in a different compliance position. RED OHMS Group can help you understand where your current exposures sit relative to both current and anticipated future standards and assist with the engineering and management work needed to get ahead of regulatory change.

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FAQs

A contaminant monitoring programme starts with a walkthrough exposure assessment – a systematic review of your processes, materials and workforce to identify which hazardous agents are potentially present and which workers may be exposed. Priority is given to contaminants with the highest hazard potential and those for which exposure standards or regulatory monitoring requirements exist. RED OHMS will document this assessment and design a monitoring strategy that is risk-proportionate and legally defensible.

Under Australian WHS regulations, records of exposure monitoring must generally be kept for 30 years where the monitoring relates to a substance listed in Schedule 1 of the WHS Regulations (substances with the potential to cause long-latency disease). RED OHMS provides clients with monitoring records in formats suitable for long-term retention and can assist with records management systems.

Monitoring is conducted during normal working conditions to capture representative exposures. Shutting down or altering processes for sampling would produce results that do not reflect actual worker exposures and would not satisfy regulatory requirements. Our hygienists are experienced in conducting unobtrusive, operationally compatible monitoring campaigns on active mine sites and in industrial facilities.

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Why Integrated Management Systems Matter

Regulatory requirements for occupational hygiene in the Australian mining and resources sector have intensified significantly in recent years.

Exposure standards for respirable crystalline silica have been halved, diesel particulate matter now carries a statutory exposure limit and regulators across all jurisdictions are scrutinising the quality of health management documentation as never before. Operating without a structured, current and evidence-based hygiene programme is not just a compliance risk – it is a direct risk to the health of your workers.

RED OHMS Group’s team of Certified Occupational Hygienists (COH®) and experienced hygiene professionals brings the technical depth and site experience to build programmes that genuinely work. We understand that your operations are dynamic, that hazard profiles change as mines age and processes evolve and that monitoring data is only valuable if it is properly interpreted and acted upon. Our compliance services are designed to give you confidence – not just paperwork.

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