| Workplace exposure to diesel exhaust |
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Brian's business premises consisted of offices located in the corner of a warehouse in which trucks sometimes idled for up to 20 minutes at a time. As a sticky, black "dust" was always present in the office environment, he and his staff were concerned that the diesel fumes from the warehouse may be adversely affecting the air quality in the offices. Building Wellness was therefore asked to assess the quality of the indoor air both during and after the period when the truck had been idling.
As diesel exhaust is a complex mixture of particulate matter and chemicals, the assessment included testing for respirable particulate matter (PM10), ultrafine particulates, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and total volatile organic compounds.
Test results While levels of chemicals tested were all within safe levels in the office air for the duration of the test period, particulate levels exceeded safety guidelines. While it appeared that the exhaust fumes were most likely entering the office through minute gaps around windows and wall-ceiling joins, it was also noted that black staining was quite marked around the air conditioning vents and air return.
Outcomes Brian was advised to stop trucks idling in the warehouse space, as this action alone would remove the major source of particulates in the office air. Supporting measures included having the office walls checked to endure that they were as air tight as possible and having the air conditioning system inspected and serviced by a HVAC professional to ensure that clean air was being delivered into the work environment.
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