Workplace Services
Protecting employee health through expert workplace environmental monitoring. From occupational exposure monitoring that underpins your COSHH compliance, to indoor air quality testing and BREEAM certification support.
Workplace Environmental Specialists
Employers have a legal duty under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) to protect workers from exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace. This includes airborne contaminants such as dust, fumes, vapours, gases and biological agents. Where exposure cannot be eliminated or adequately controlled by other means, workplace monitoring is required to demonstrate compliance with Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) set out in HSE guidance document EH40.
At Air Dust Odour, we provide a comprehensive range of workplace environmental monitoring services. Whether you need to assess occupational exposure to hazardous substances, evaluate indoor air quality in office environments, support BREEAM certification, or investigate complaints of sick building syndrome, our experienced consultants deliver clear, actionable results.
Our monitoring is carried out in accordance with HSE guidance, British Standards and BREEAM methodology. We work with employers, facilities managers, occupational health teams and building consultants across the UK to ensure workplaces are safe, compliant and comfortable for employees.
When Is Workplace Monitoring Required?
Workplace environmental monitoring may be required in a range of situations to protect employee health and demonstrate regulatory compliance.
COSHH Compliance Requirements
Where employees are exposed to hazardous substances and monitoring is needed to demonstrate that Workplace Exposure Limits are not being exceeded, as required under COSHH Regulation 10.
Workplace Dust Exposure Concerns
Where processes generate respirable dust, wood dust, silica dust or other particulate matter and personal exposure monitoring is needed to protect workers and satisfy HSE requirements.
Sick Building Syndrome
Where occupants report symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, eye irritation or respiratory discomfort that may be linked to poor indoor air quality, inadequate ventilation or building-related contaminants.
BREEAM Certification
Where post-construction indoor air quality testing is required under BREEAM Hea 02 to demonstrate that volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde and other pollutants are within acceptable limits.
New Office or Workplace Fit-Out
Where a new or refurbished workplace needs air quality verification to ensure that construction materials, furnishings and building systems are not adversely affecting the indoor environment.
Regulatory Inspections
Where the HSE or local authority enforcement officers require evidence that workplace exposure levels are being monitored and controlled, or where improvement or prohibition notices have been served.
Our Workplace Services
We provide specialist workplace environmental monitoring services tailored to your industry, processes and compliance requirements.
Workplace Exposure Monitoring (COSHH)
Personal breathing-zone sampling for hazardous substances including dust, fume, vapour and gas. We sample to MDHS methodology with full analysis at a UKAS-accredited laboratory and compare results to the Workplace Exposure Limits in HSE document EH40 — the defensible way to demonstrate compliance with COSHH Regulation 10. See our umbrella COSHH monitoring page →
Wood Dust Monitoring
Personal IOM-head sampling per MDHS 14/4 for the 3 mg/m³ hardwood and softwood WEL — one of the lowest dust limits in EH40 and frequently exceeded even in well-extracted joineries. For workshops, sawmills, kitchen-fitters and MDF operations. Wood dust monitoring →
Flour Dust Monitoring
IOM-head sampling for flour dust against the 10 mg/m³ WEL and 30 mg/m³ STEL — one of the leading causes of UK occupational asthma. Bakeries, mills, pizza kitchens, pasta makers and ingredient packers. Flour dust monitoring →
Grain Dust Monitoring
IOM-head sampling for the 10 mg/m³ grain dust WEL plus optional parallel endotoxin sampling. Grain stores, animal-feed mills, malt houses, distillery intake and farm driers. Grain dust monitoring →
General Inhalable Dust (10 mg/m³)
IOM-head sampling per MDHS 14/4 for mixed or unspeciated dusts against the general inhalable WEL. Recycling, plastics, paper converting, mineral handling and mixed manufacturing. Inhalable dust monitoring →
Respirable Dust & Silica
Higgins-Dewell cyclone sampling for the 4 mg/m³ general respirable WEL and the 0.1 mg/m³ respirable crystalline silica WEL (XRD per MDHS 101). Stonemasons, engineered-quartz worktop fabricators, concrete cutting and quarrying. Respirable dust & silica →
Cement & Construction Dust
Dual IOM + cyclone sampling for Portland cement (10 mg/m³ inhalable, 4 mg/m³ respirable). Batching plants, precast factories, dry-bagging, demolition and on-site concrete cutting. Cement dust monitoring →
Gas Monitoring & Indoor Air Quality (CO, CO2, VOCs)
Direct-reading multi-gas monitoring using calibrated electrochemical, NDIR and PID sensors. Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, total VOCs, NO2, H2S, O2 and LEL — against EH40 Workplace Exposure Limits and BREEAM Hea 02 indoor air quality benchmarks. Offices, schools, plant rooms, underground car parks, confined space and construction sites. Gas & IAQ monitoring →
BREEAM Indoor Air Quality Testing
Post-construction indoor air quality testing in accordance with BREEAM Hea 02 requirements. We carry out sampling and laboratory analysis for formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) and other specified pollutants. Our testing follows the methodology set out in the BREEAM technical manual and results are presented in the format required by BREEAM assessors.
Monitoring Data for Your COSHH Assessment
The COSHH assessment is the employer's, and it stays with you. What we provide is the measured exposure data it needs: personal breathing-zone sampling, UKAS laboratory analysis, and results set against the Workplace Exposure Limits in EH40, with recommendations on monitoring strategy. That gives you the evidence base to complete and defend your own assessment under COSHH Regulations 6 and 7. We do not prepare COSHH assessments themselves.
Monitoring Where Ventilation Is the Control
Where general ventilation or local exhaust ventilation (LEV) is relied on to control airborne contaminants, personal and static monitoring shows whether exposure is actually being kept below the Workplace Exposure Limits in EH40. The results inform your own COSHH assessment and your decisions about ventilation. We do not design or specify ventilation or LEV systems.
Our Monitoring Process
Site Visit & Scoping
We visit your workplace to understand your processes, identify the substances and hazards present, record the control measures in place and agree a monitoring strategy that is proportionate and targeted to your specific requirements.
Monitoring & Sampling
Our consultants carry out monitoring using calibrated equipment and validated sampling methods. Personal exposure monitoring follows representative work patterns, while static monitoring captures background levels and identifies emission sources.
Laboratory Analysis
Samples are submitted to UKAS-accredited laboratories for analysis. We use validated analytical methods including gravimetric analysis, gas chromatography and X-ray diffraction depending on the substances being assessed.
Report & Recommendations
You receive a clear, detailed report presenting all monitoring results, their comparison against the Workplace Exposure Limits in EH40 and recommendations on monitoring strategy, including when to re-monitor. The results feed into your own COSHH assessment, and the choice of any additional controls stays with you.
Standards & Guidance We Follow
All our workplace monitoring is carried out in accordance with the latest HSE guidance, British Standards and industry best practice.
Related Services
Looking for a particular town, city or region? See all the areas we cover.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a COSHH assessment?
COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) assessments evaluate worker exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace, including dust, fumes, vapours and biological agents. Employers are legally required to assess and control these exposures under the COSHH Regulations 2002. The assessment is the employer’s own duty; our role is to provide the measured exposure data it relies on.
How often should workplace exposure monitoring be carried out?
The frequency depends on the nature and level of exposure. Initial baseline monitoring should be conducted when activities change or new substances are introduced. Ongoing monitoring may be required annually or more frequently for high-risk processes or where exposures are close to workplace exposure limits.
What are Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs)?
WELs are the maximum concentrations of hazardous substances that workers may be exposed to over a specified time period, published in HSE document EH40. They are legally binding limits set to protect workers from the health effects of breathing in hazardous substances.
Do you provide indoor air quality testing for offices?
Yes. We carry out indoor air quality assessments for offices and commercial buildings, testing for pollutants including carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter and formaldehyde. This is also relevant for BREEAM Hea 02 credits.
How much does workplace monitoring cost?
Workplace exposure monitoring typically starts from around £500 per day, depending on the number of samples required and substances being assessed. Indoor air quality assessments for BREEAM start from approximately £800. Contact us for a tailored quote.