Air quality testing is an essential part of ensuring the safety and well-being of people who occupy indoor spaces. Whether you’re a building owner, facility manager, or indoor air quality professional, conducting air quality testing can help identify potential sources of indoor air pollution and develop strategies to mitigate them.
However, it’s essential to be aware of the mistakes that can occur during the air quality testing process, as they can lead to inaccurate results and potentially harm the health of occupants. Here are some essential aspects to be aware of regarding some common mistakes to avoid making while conducting air quality checks.
Failure to use accredited air quality monitoring equipment
Certified equipment is required for successful air quality assessment. Such devices are built and verified to be accurate when detecting certain contaminants associated with a given region’s air quality. It is critical for the user to be knowledgeable about the specifics, use, and maintenance of these measuring instruments in order to get the most out of them.
Incorrect use of calibrated equipment
While assessing air quality, it is critical that the devices used be properly calibrated to guarantee reliable readings. Photometers and electrical conductivity probes, for example, must be verified against a reference standard or approved equipment on a regular basis.
This ensures that the measurements correlate to the concentration of contaminants being measured. Failing to calibrate devices to the right IS0 8573 requirements properly might result in inaccurate readings and computations when analyzing data from air samples.
Monitoring can also be made more difficult by the deployment of obsolete equipment that is no longer suitable for the purpose. It is critical that monitoring equipment users understand how to operate it appropriately and safely store it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
It is also critical that users are informed of the possible hazards of utilizing such tools in potentially dangerous conditions, such as electrocution.
Lack of understanding of the different safety regulations
While doing air quality testing, it is critical to understand and follow the proper safety guidelines.
Failure to comprehend the numerous safety requirements may endanger yourself, your team, and the people around you. To maintain the integrity and accuracy of the data obtained, it is critical that all stakeholders participating in an air quality test understand these standards.
That being stated, the first step in conducting any effective air quality test should always be being aware of and adhering to all applicable safety standards in your region. Failure to do so might have disastrous ramifications for everyone concerned.
Failure to record the outcomes
One of the most common mistakes individuals make when performing air quality testing is failing to document the results. It is critical to document the outcomes, especially when there are environmental requirements or safety issues. If the findings are regarded as poor, no corrective steps may be made if they are not documented.
Documenting the findings of air quality testing helps to guarantee that the data may be utilized to make choices about the facility in issue, such as whether air filters need to be updated or whether extra ventilation is required. Documenting these data also serves as a record in case of an audit or inspection, helping to guarantee compliance with health and safety laws.
When documenting the results of an air quality test, it is important to make sure all relevant information is included, such as date and time of testing, location tested, type/method of test conducted, substances tested for (e.g., mould or toxins), details about any laboratory tests or equipment used (if applicable).
This information should be kept easily accessible in case it is needed later on—having hard copies in addition to digital copies is ideal when ensuring you have comprehensive records that can withstand time and other circumstances that could potentially damage more transient forms of record keeping like computers or phones.
Not ensuring that the findings are correct and updated
It is critical to guarantee that the results of an air quality monitoring exercise are correct and current. Inadequately obtained or outdated data will not give relevant insights and may possibly lead to inaccurate conclusions. In certain cases, erroneous data may even be exploited to deceive authorities and local stakeholders.
It is essential to carefully follow all protocols provided in the monitoring protocol to prevent mistakes such as equipment calibration; inaccuracies may arise whether data is logged manually or uploaded digitally. Personnel doing sampling should be well-trained in the setup, operation, maintenance, and calibration of all essential devices.
Conclusion
Air quality testing is an important aspect of maintaining our health and the health of our environment. Unfortunately, flaws in the testing procedure might result in erroneous findings, which can harm our health and the environment.
As a result, it is critical to be aware of the various errors that might occur while performing air quality testing and to take the appropriate precautions to avoid them.
