Sampling Guide for Air Contaminants in the Workplace - Irsst

IRSST – Sampling Guide for Air Contaminants in the Workplace 1
Preamble
This IRSST technical guide assumes that the user is free to choose the objectives of his interventions and the
means of achieving these objectives. The guide helps the user to obtain scientific and technical data whose
accuracy (exactness) and reliability (precision) are known in relation to a reference value. The quality required
in achieving an intervention's objectives must be determined by the people in charge of the intervention.
Content 1 of the document
Regulated guides
• Part 1: Sampling strategy
• Table entitled "Table of substances in the ROHS" in Part 3 Contaminant Sampling (pages 41 to 132,
printed on green paper).
Non-regulated guides
• Part 2: Sampling instruments and techniques
• Table entitled "Non-regulated substances analyzed by the IRSST" in Part 3 Contaminant Sampling
(pages 133 to 136, printed on yellow paper).
Introduction
The purpose of the Act respecting occupational health and safety (1) is to eliminate at source, dangers to the
health, safety and physical well-being of workers. To meet these objectives, this guide describes the methods
for quantifying the degree of exposure of workers in order to implement appropriate means of control.
Permissible exposure values (PEVs) for chemical substances have been included in Schedule I of the
Regulation respecting occupational health and safety (2) (ROHS) and also in the Regulation respecting
occupational health and safety in mines (3) (ROHSM). Section 44 of the ROHS entitled "Methods" specifies
that:
"These dusts, gases, fumes, vapours and mists found in the workplace environment shall be
sampled and analyzed to obtain an accuracy equivalent to that obtained by applying the methods
described in the Sampling Guide for Air Contaminants in the Workplace published by the Institut
de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et sécurité du travail du Québec."
Section 44 of the ROHS and section 103.1 of the ROHSM specify that:
"The sampling strategy for these contaminants shall be carried out in accordance with common
practices in industrial hygiene as summarized in this guide."
To help occupational health and safety practitioners, the IRSST publishes, periodically revises, and
disseminates the Sampling Guide for Air Contaminants in the Workplace. This guide includes a first section
on the sampling strategy. The second part describes concisely the different evaluation techniques that can be
used in an occupational hygiene procedure based on the nature of the substances: gases and vapours or
aerosols. It is important to note that some of these techniques are exploratory and are not standard IRSST
methods. Also, evaluation techniques are given for microorganisms even though they are not regulated in
Québec. This part also contains information on the analysis of bulk samples and on the calibration of the
sampling system. The third part specifies the sampling and analytical methods for each of the substances
listed in Schedule I of the ROHS. It also contains information on the sampling and analysis of a limited
1 Consult the IRSST's Web site for the most recent update of the sampling guide