ISO 29042-1:2008

Overview

ISO 29042-1:2008 - Safety of machinery - Evaluation of the emission of airborne hazardous substances - Part 1: Selection of test methods - provides guidance on selecting appropriate test methods and assessment parameters for evaluating emissions of airborne pollutants from machines and the performance of integrated pollutant control systems. This Type-B standard (per ISO 12100) defines the parameters to assess emission behaviour and to compare capture, separation and overall control performance without prescribing a single measurement technique.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Assessment parameters defined
  • Uncontrolled emission rate: mass of pollutant emitted when control measures are deactivated.
  • Controlled emission rate: mass emitted with control measures active.
  • Capture efficiency (ηc): fraction of pollutant directly collected by a capture device.
  • Separation efficiency by mass (ηs): fraction of pollutant retained by an air cleaning system.
  • Pollutant concentration parameter (Pc): measured concentration at specified locations near the machine.
  • Decontamination index (IA): improvement in ambient air quality with control systems operating.
• Selection criteria for test methods
  • Nature of the pollutant (real pollutant vs tracer material).
  • Nature of the test environment (test bench, room method, or field method).
  • Relevance to foreseeable working situations and comparability between machines and systems.
  • Measurement locations: in ducts with flow-rate measurement or at locations around the machine.
• Test environments described
  • Test bench (laboratory cabin): controlled, single-machine tests in a known-volume enclosure.
  • Room method: larger laboratory or on-site room, better control of ventilation and crossdrafts.
  • Field method: on-site testing under real operating conditions, capturing disturbances and realistic ventilation.
• Emphasis on using real pollutant where possible; tracer techniques allowed when tracer and pollutant have comparable discharge/flow patterns.

Applications and users

ISO 29042-1 is intended for:

• Machine manufacturers and designers validating pollutant control features.
• Safety engineers and occupational hygienists assessing exposure reduction measures.
• Test laboratories and certification bodies selecting appropriate measurement protocols.
• Plant managers and regulators reviewing compliance and verifying control system performance. Practical uses include evaluating capture systems, sizing/validating air cleaning systems, comparing machines by emission rates, and informing risk assessments (part of broader machine safety verification, e.g., ISO 14123-2).

Related standards

• ISO 12100 (machine safety principles)
• Other parts of ISO 29042 series:
  • ISO 29042-2 (tracer gas method - emission rate)
  • ISO 29042-3 (test bench method - emission rate)
  • ISO 29042-4 (tracer method - capture efficiency)
  • ISO 29042-5 / -6 (separation efficiency - under preparation)
  • ISO 29042-7 to -9 (pollutant concentration parameter, room method, decontamination index - planned)

Keywords: ISO 29042-1:2008, safety of machinery, airborne hazardous substances, emission evaluation, test methods, capture efficiency, separation efficiency, pollutant concentration, decontamination index.