Breathing Air Testing
Are you compliant to breathing air quality standards?
BS EN 12021 states: ‘Compressed air for breathing apparatus shall not contain any contaminants at a concentration which can cause toxic or harmful effects. In any event all contaminants shall be kept to as low a level as possible and shall be far below the national exposure limit.
How often is breathing air testing required?
Changes in the compressor and filter performance can happen rapidly. For this reason, the HSE require that the test be at least every three months. For rarely used equipment they require compressed air quality testing before each use. Employers must store the records of these tests and repairs for a period of at least five years.
BS EN 12021:2014 Limits
The purpose of the test is to make sure that the control measures put in place by the employer, such as inline filters, are delivering the air quality required by BS EN 12021:2014. In summary, BS EN 12021:2014 sets these limits for the breathing air testing:
- Oxygen must be at 21% ± 1%.
- Carbon monoxide must be as low as possible and must not exceed 5 ppm.
- Carbon dioxide must not exceed 500 ppm.
- Oil mist and vapour must not exceed 0.5 mgm-3
- Odour/taste – Without significant odour or taste.
- Water (liquid) – 290 mgm-3 at 5 bar and 20oC.
In addition, the compressed air quality testing must show a dew point low enough to prevent condensation and freezing. In particular, the dew point of the air must be at least 5oC below the lowest temperature that the operators use and store the equipment. Furthermore, the pressure dew point must not exceed -11oC where the conditions of usage and storage are unknown.
Contact Air4u Group for your Breathing Air Test (H3)
Whatever your needs, our team are happy to guide you through whatever your industry requirements are and will provide the most suitable solution for you and your business.
Air4u Ltd Group
Unit 12, Ford Lane Business Park
Ford Lane
Arundel
West Sussex
BN18 0UZ
Tel: 01903 257117
Email: enquiries@air4ultd.co.uk