Five Overlooked Aspects of Evaluating Industrial Ventilation Systems

How to accurately assess an industrial ventilation system

Industrial ventilation is the primary control of toxic fume emissions, particulates, and dusts in the workplace. Management and maintenance are crucial for the proper operation of the system; therefore, periodic evaluations are necessary to ensure health and safety in the workplace.

How do you know if you are accurately assessing an industrial ventilation system? Have you completed a full health risk assessment (HRA) in the workplace to validate the need for the system? Protecting workers from occupational exposure with the use of ventilation systems involves much more than simply verifying that flow rates meet design or operational criteria. In ASG’s extensive assessments of over 2,500 industrial workplaces, we have found that over 75% of industrial ventilation systems have not been properly evaluated by the industrial hygienists overseeing them. Five commonly overlooked aspects became apparent:

• Failure to complete a thorough HRA on the processes for which the industrial ventilation is used
• Lack of objective air sampling to determine ventilation system effectiveness
• Inadequate surveying phases to include initial, baseline, and periodic
• Inappropriate criteria used for determining the adequacy of the control
• Ventilation systems were evaluated yet they did not control hazards.

For the last 10 years, ASG has been delivering Occupational Health Program solutions that reduce occupational safety and health risks. To learn more about the common errors in conducting industrial ventilation surveys and how to streamline these evaluations, request a free copy of our technical report, Five Overlooked Aspects of Evaluating Industrial Ventilation Systems.