Indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring for manufacturing

Why are indoor air quality monitors for manufacturing facilities important?

Industrial air quality monitoring is essential for several reasons: it protects employee health, safeguards manufacturing equipment, maintains product quality, ensures regulatory compliance and helps prevent environmental pollution. By continuously monitoring air quality, facilities can proactively address potential issues and create a safer, more efficient work environment. 

1. Protecting employee health and safety

Indoor air quality can affect the health of your employees and their ability to work efficiently and productively. Poor IAQ for manufacturing facilities means that the air is laden with fine dust particles and other pollutants that can be inhaled by employees. Those particles are suspended in the air and can remain suspended for long periods, eventually causing reactions, such as rashes and asthma. Although some of these issues may be mild or temporary, employees may experience health effects from indoor air pollutants years later. Common health and safety issues caused by poor IAQ include:

Respiratory problems

• Inhaling dust particles can create respiratory problems such as coughing, wheezing, bronchitis and lung cancer. 
• Inhaling particles containing substances such as metals or crystalline silica can release toxic substances. This can lead to chronic diseases over time, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) following a persistent cough caused by dust inhalation. 

Odors

• Dust accumulation on machinery can breed bacteria and mold, causing unpleasant odors. 
• Dust settling on hot equipment can cause a burning smell.
• Certain manufacturing processes can release unpleasant fumes. 

Slipping hazards

• Dust and moisture can create slipping hazards, leading to trips and falls. 

2. Safeguarding manufacturing equipment

IAQ for manufacturing facilities can help maintain operational efficiency and prevent equipment breakdown by reducing the risk of damage caused by dust or other contaminants. 

Equipment breakdown

• Dust accumulation in production equipment can cause malfunction and possible breakdown, which can mean downtime and reduced productivity.
• Dust and moisture can corrode equipment components such as electrical motors.
• Contamination by dust increases maintenance costs and can reduce equipment lifespan. 
• Equipment damage can disrupt production cycles, increasing overall manufacturing costs.

Fire risks

• Dust deposits increase the risk for combustible dust explosions and fires.
• Dust on electrical devices can cause them to overheat. 

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) inefficiency 

• Poor IAQ can impact HVAC systems, causing poor airflow and recycling dust particles back into the workplace.
• Dust-laden air strains HVAC and processing equipment, decreasing efficiency and increasing energy consumption. 
• With poor HVAC, dust can be transmitted to other areas of the manufacturing facility such as offices or warehouses.

3. Ensuring product quality

IAQ in manufacturing facilities plays a crucial role in protecting product quality by maintaining a clean production environment and ensuring compliance with customer and regulatory standards. 

• In industries like pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food processing and electronics, stringent hygiene standards are mandatory, as dust contamination can compromise product quality and safety. Poor air quality can lead to product defects, rework and customer returns, impacting both reputation and costs. 

4. Regulatory compliance

Monitoring the sources of contaminants and understanding how to control them is essential for maintaining optimal indoor air quality, as well as ensuring healthy working conditions and safe manufacturing operations that are compliant with industry regulations. 

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance

OSHA is responsible for ensuring safe and healthy working conditions by enforcing specific standards, as well as offering training, outreach, education and assistance.

• OSHA requires that manufacturing facilities maintain safe working environments free from hazards that could cause harm or injury. 
• OSHA has established permissible exposure limits (PELs) for workers’ exposure to certain airborne dust in an eight-hour shift. 
• To comply with OSHA standards, remove potentially toxic dust from processing areas to protect the health and safety of workers.
• Maintain records identifying all dust generated in your facility.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health compliance (NIOSH)

• NIOSH recommends exposure limits (RELs) for hazardous substances, including dust.
• NIOSH limits are generally stricter than OSHA’s PELs. 
• NIOSH RELs are not regulatory requirements but are recommended guidelines for exposure limits.

National Fire Protection Association compliance (NFPA)

• If dust is flammable or explosive, compliance with NFPA standards is required to ensure safety and mitigate fire and explosion risks. 

Preventing environmental pollution

• Airborne dust particles from industrial processes can contribute to environmental pollution, affecting air quality and ecosystems.
• Monitoring and improving IAQ can help reduce your environmental footprint and meet environmental standards.

Manufacturing facilities with the highest risks of IAQ issues

While IAQ issues can arise in any industrial facility that generates dust during its manufacturing processes, certain industries face elevated risks due to higher particle volumes and specific pollutant types. Industries at the highest risk include: 

Chemical processing

Chemical plants work with a variety of different raw materials that can release chemical substances, dust, VOCs and other pollutants into the air. The pollutants are generated during processes such as coating, blending, crushing, milling, mixing and pelletizing. 

Food processing

In food processing plants, employees are working with a variety of materials that can release dust particles into the air, including sugar, starch, spices and flour. 

Metalworking

The metalworking industry faces significant IAQ challenges. Common processes such as cutting, finishing and welding produce metal particles and fumes, with risks escalating when working with materials like lead, nickel or chrome, which can release toxic substances. Additionally, the use of chemical-based finishing materials introduces further contaminants into the air, compounding the IAQ concerns. 

Woodworking

This industry includes sawmills, cabinet and furniture makers, and companies manufacturing products from wood. Processes such as cutting, molding, routing and finishing generate both coarse and fine dust particles. Additionally, the use of chemical-based products for preserving or finishing wood can release harmful fumes and other contaminants into the air. 

Packaging

Manufacturing packaging products generates a wide range of airborne particles, including dust and fumes from materials such as paper, plastics, metals and adhesives. These particles can vary in size, from larger dust particles to finer, more hazardous particulates. The diversity of materials used in packaging production, combined with processes like cutting, molding and printing, creates complex IAQ challenges, potentially impacting both worker health and product quality. 

Pharmaceuticals and cosmetics

These industries handle a diverse array of solid and liquid materials, many of which can release dust, fumes or volatile substances into the air during processing. Some of the raw materials used may be hazardous or toxic, posing significant health risks to workers and potentially contaminating the surrounding environment. 

How to tell if your manufacturing facility has IAQ issues

Maintaining air quality is essential to health and safety in your manufacturing facilities, but it can be difficult to identify the scale and nature of any contaminants. Several factors might indicate the risk of a problem, such as: 

• Dust buildup: Deposits of fine particulate matter around workstations and near ventilation ducts may indicate issues with airflow that must be addressed.
• Moisture accumulation: Inadequate or faulty ventilation systems can cause problems with excess moisture in the air which can settle on surfaces and influence mold growth.
• Unusual odors: Foul-smelling chemical residues, mold spores and other unusual odors lingering in a facility are among the clearest indications of poor IAQ.
• Frequent health issues among employees: If multiple workers report similar illnesses, especially those that impact respiratory health, poor IAQ could be the cause.

However, these warning signs offer limited insight, making it crucial to support observations with technologies that can accurately analyze and monitor IAQ in manufacturing facilities. By implementing industrial air quality monitoring, you can identify the types of particles present in the air and assess contamination levels across different areas of your plant.

Steps to improve indoor air quality for manufacturing facilities

Successfully improving indoor air quality for manufacturing facilities requires a continuous commitment from employees across all levels of the organization. Managers must ensure ventilation systems are regularly inspected and cleaned, workers must adjust key practices with IAQ in mind and systems must be implemented to reliably and consistently monitor IAQ metrics.

To support these pursuits, below are some key steps to improve IAQ for manufacturing facilities.

1. Implement indoor air quality monitoring systems

Indoor air quality monitors for manufacturing facilities are specialized sensors that can detect a range of potentially harmful airborne particles common in industrial spaces. Smart IAQ monitors leverage multiple types of sensors within a single device to accurately identify different types of contaminants. To gain a clear picture of contaminant levels, look for devices with these sensors:

• Laser-based sensors to detect and measure airborne contaminants.
• Electrochemical sensors to detect gasses such as carbon monoxide.
• Electrical resistance sensors to detect harmful buildups of VOCs.
• Environmental sensors to detect wider factors like humidity and temperature.

The airflow of a space must be considered when positioning IAQ sensors, with devices installed in high-risk areas like workstations and around ventilation ducts. IAQ monitors offer insight into air quality metrics based on the Air Quality Index (AQI), with levels reflected as a value of 0 – 500.

• Good: 0 – 50
• Moderate: 51 – 100
• Unsafe for sensitive groups: 101 – 150
• Unhealthy: 151 – 200
• Very unhealthy: 201 – 300
• Hazardous: 301+

2. Frequently conduct indoor air quality assessments

IAQ metrics can vary significantly in manufacturing settings as different processes and pieces of machinery are engaged. To help ensure safe IAQ is maintained consistently, comprehensive indoor air quality assessments should be conducted by management teams on a frequent basis.

OSHA resources outline an actionable framework for professional IAQ assessments in industrial settings, advising management teams to perform the following steps:

• Locate potential contaminant sources.
• Evaluate the performance of HVAC systems.
• Review workflows and production processes.
• Measure IAQ levels and staff exposures.
• Check surfaces for signs of moisture and mold.
• Check heat and humidity levels are safe (68°F‑78°F/30%-60%)
• Ask employees to share air quality concerns.
• Review medical records for signs of IAQ-related illnesses.

3. Regularly clean work equipment and air filters

Airborne particles in manufacturing facilities can build up inside equipment and ventilation systems over time, impacting their efficacy and compounding IAQ issues. Management teams must perform regular cleaning and maintenance practices to tackle this issue and improve IAQ.

Air filters should be checked and cleaned as frequently as possible, and replaced every 6 – 12 months. Machine downtime should be planned, with all equipment checked for buildups of particulate matter and all air intakes cleaned. To help ensure consistency, leaders should create cleaning schedules and implement rules to check off and sign tasks as they’re performed.

4. Educate and engage employees in IAQ improvements

Involving workers in IAQ improvements can help ensure best practices are followed. Managers should regularly share the results of industrial air quality monitoring assessments with staff to demonstrate the efficacy of new practices and hold meetings to discuss potential improvements.

Signage should be installed around the facility to remind workers of best practices and cleaning requirements, with communication channels opened to allow staff to share thoughts or concerns about IAQ. It can also be wise to link indoor air quality monitors for manufacturing facilities to a cloud-based dashboard to enable staff to view real-time updates about IAQ metrics at any time. Manufacturing camera systems can also be leveraged to ensure that policies and procedures are being followed by workers around the clock.

The benefits of industrial air quality monitors for manufacturing

IAQ monitors for manufacturing facilities can provide significant benefits, including: 

• Reduction of dangerous levels of hazardous contaminants in the air. 
• Quick identification of IAQ issues for remedial action. 
• Data collection for making adjustments to HVAC operations and improving maintenance routines.
• Better decision-making for ventilation, filtration and other measures to improve air quality.
• Cleaner and safer work environments for boosting employee morale and job satisfaction.

Key takeaways

Investing in indoor air quality monitoring for manufacturing facilities is a crucial step toward safeguarding the health and safety of both employees and visitors. By implementing industrial air quality monitoring systems, you gain real-time, accurate data that provides a clear picture of the air quality within your facility. This valuable insight not only helps you identify potential risks, but also empowers you to take proactive measures to address issues before they escalate into critical problems. 

Beyond regulatory compliance, indoor air quality monitoring systems foster a safer and more efficient workplace, reduce the risk of costly disruptions, and contribute to overall security for manufacturing plants by ensuring a clean and hazard-free environment. Ultimately, investing in IAQ monitoring demonstrates a long-term commitment to maintaining a healthy work environment and protecting the wellbeing of everyone on your site.