Bespoke dust monitoring/alarm solution

Following advice from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), a large UK manufacturer was required to monitor airborne particulates in and around its paint shop, and to automatically raise visual and audible alarms when potentially dangerous conditions arise.  was therefore contacted, and Jay Neermul, Ashtead Technology’s Environmental Sales Manager, visited the site to assess the requirements.

With remote communication and the ability to measure all of the key dust fractions simultaneously, Jay concluded that the most appropriate instruments would be the TSI DustTrak Environmental 8543 MCERTS Outdoor Dust & Aerosol Monitors (TSI DTE). “By continuously monitoring total PM, PM10, PM2.5 and PM1, these instruments provide a complete picture of the particulate levels that represent a threat to staff health,” he comments. “With MCERTS certification these monitors also have the proven levels of performance that are required to operate continuously and reliably.”

The TSI DTE instruments continuously monitor particulate levels and transmit data to a cloud-based system which can be accessed via PC or mobile APP. This provides an opportunity to view secure monitoring data 24/7 from any location, which means that staff will be able to correlate process conditions with aerosol levels so that opportunities for operational improvements can be identified. The system is also able to issue alarms via text or email, however, this application demanded visual and audible alarms so that staff can be evacuated immediately. The TSI DTE does not provide this function, so Ashtead’s engineers developed and trialled a solution that incorporates the advantages of the monitoring system with a bespoke audible and visual alarm capability.

The resulting monitoring system demonstrated full compliance with the site’s monitoring requirements, so three systems were ordered in July 2019 and delivered in the first week of August.

“This project exemplifies Ashtead’s ability to develop a monitoring solution that meets the precise needs of a client,” comments Jay Neermul. “Our website details the wide range of standard products that we stock, but a quick call to our technical staff allows customers to ensure that they buy or rent the best equipment for their specific application, even if that requires systems engineering on our part.”