General Monitoring Practices
Air sampling should be conducted using a variety of media to identify the major classes of airborne contaminants and their concentrations.
Workers wearing Level B protection decontaminating worker wearing Level A protection.
The following sampling pattern can be used as a guideline.
- After visually identifying the sources of possible generation, air samples should be collected downwind from the designated source along the axis of the wind direction.
- Work should proceed upwind to a point as close as possible to the source.
- Level B protection should be worn during this initial sampling. Levels of protection for subsequent sampling should be based upon the results obtained and the potential for an unexpected release of chemicals.
- After reaching the source, or finding the highest concentration, samples should be collected along the cross-axis of the wind direction to determine the degree of dispersion. Smoke plumes, or plumes of instrument-detectable airborne substances, may be released as an aid in this assessment.
- To ensure there is not background interference and the detected substance(s) originate from the identified source, air samples also should be collected upwind from the source.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
5-1. What level of protection should be worn during initial sampling?
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