Occupational Exposure Limit values (OEL) are set by national authorities or national institutions as limits for concentrations of hazardous compounds in the workplace air. This is an important tool for risk assessment when determining what respirator is required in specific areas of the workplace. OEL’s can apply to manufactured products and by-products from a production process. The limits are set to protect workers from occupational ill-health in their respiratory tract and are set at the highest occupational exposure level at which no adverse health effects can be anticipated.
OEL’s to limit concentrations of substances have been in existence since the turn of the 20th century, with the first published report on permissible exposure level for carbon monoxide drafted in Germany in 1883. Other examples then followed including a report in 1916 on exposure limits for dusts with high quartz content in South African gold mines.
Since then OEL’s have been used as a means of assessing and/or controlling worker exposure to a wide range of substances such as:
· Dusts
· Particles
· Aerosols
· Gasses
· Vapours
These have included organic and inorganic substances and pharmaceuticals have ranged from cotton dust, nicotine and coal dust, to specific chemicals such as chromic acid mist and vinyl chloride.
At RSG Safety we are a specialist manufacturer and provider of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) but with a prime expertise of respiratory products. We are proud to have an extensive range of respiratory protection products that are approved, and designed, for use in the workplace where a risk assessment has determined that they should be used to protect the workforce. All of our products conform to the European standards and carry the CE mark.
Should you require any further information please contact a member of the team who would be pleased to assist you in the correct choice of respirator and filter for your particular application.
