Personal Air Sampling Pump and Sound Level Meter are a Hit Down Under with Australian Department of Defence

Following a competitive tender process, the Australian Department of Defence has taken delivery of 180 TUFF personal air sampling pumps and 180 CEL-350 dBadge personal noise dosimeters from Casella CEL (UK), leading global specialist in industrial hygiene and occupational health monitoring equipment.

Ronald Azar, Business Manager at Casella’s Australian distributor, Stantron, said: “Defence personnel were looking for pumps to measure air quality during training exercises and whilst working on Defence equipment. As a result they needed kit that offered sufficient charging capabilities to allow the pumps to operate continually away from mains power for at least 12 hours, as well as the ability to sustain simultaneous charging of all pumps. The TUFF pump met those requirements and more.”

The robust, intrinsically safe Casella pump features intelligent battery monitoring and fast/trickle charge control facility that maintains optimum battery condition and service life while fast charging. A remaining run time ‘fuel gauge’ is an additional benefit.

Featuring certification for use in locations where hazardous atmospheres may be present from flammable gases or dusts, the TUFF pump was an ideal choice for use in a military environment where safety is of primary concern.

The robust design of the Casella unit was a key point in its favour, since its ruggedness allowed Defence personnel to take it out into difficult environments in the field. It can be carried around easily by an individual or set up in a stationary location to carry out measurements.

Built for use in harsh environments, the TUFF is both reliable and cost-effective, making it accessible to individuals as well as organisations and government agencies wanting the assurance of accuracy in their measurements and reporting. In fact the Casella unit met Defence criteria of offering such accuracy that the flow rate could be measured to within +- 5%.

It was also important to Defence that both the TUFF pumps and dBadges were within housings that met the required internationally recognised ingress protection (I.P.) rating to ensure the greatest possible protection in the field and helping to ensure their longevity.

TUFF pumps feature an easy-to-use display with high intensity LED alarm for fault indication, plus an exceptional flow rate courtesy of an efficient double acting diaphragm mechanism with precise digital control.

The digital, cable-free CEL-350 is lightweight at just 71g and accurately measures all occupational noise parameters, giving the time history of an individual's noise exposure throughout the day via a built-in graphic display.