Overview
ISO 10882-1:2024 - Health and safety in welding and allied processes - Sampling of airborne particles and gases in the operator's breathing zone - Part 1: Sampling of airborne particles - defines a standardized procedure for sampling airborne particles (welding fumes) in the operator’s breathing zone. The third edition updates the 2011 version and clarifies sampling positions (including alternatives for air‑fed welder’s helmets) and multi‑sampler methods. It is intended to support reliable personal exposure measurements used in occupational hygiene and exposure assessment.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope and purpose: Procedures for collecting airborne particles generated by welding and related operations (e.g., grinding) in the operator’s breathing zone for health and safety assessment.
- Breathing zone definition: Uses the established technical description (hemisphere of ~30 cm radius centred near the face) for sampling positioning.
- Sampling principle: Focus on personal (operator) sampling and gravimetric measurement of airborne particle mass (welding fumes).
- Equipment and performance: Requirements for sampling devices and weighing equipment; references to standards for sampler performance and measurement uncertainty.
- Assessment & measurement strategy: Guidance to augment EN 689 on planning measurements, screening vs. worst‑case sampling, and measurements for comparison with limit values.
- Procedure elements: Pre‑sampling considerations (metric selection, sampler choice, sampling period), sampler cleaning and loading, flow‑rate setting, sampling positions (personal and fixed‑point), transport, gravimetric and chemical analysis, and result expression (including time‑weighted averages and corrections).
- Uncertainty and quality: References to ISO documents on particle fractions, weighing uncertainty and sampler performance (e.g., ISO 7708, ISO 15767, EN 482, EN 13205‑1).
- Supporting material: Normative annex on gravimetric analysis and informative annexes with sampler mounting examples and reporting templates.
Applications and users
ISO 10882-1:2024 is primarily for:
- Industrial hygienists and occupational health professionals conducting personal exposure monitoring for welding fumes.
- Health & safety agencies and employers evaluating control measures and compliance with occupational exposure limits.
- Analytical laboratories performing gravimetric and referenced chemical analyses of collected samples.
- Welding process engineers and safety managers assessing exposure during welding and related operations.
Practical uses include designing measurement campaigns, selecting samplers and sampling positions, performing gravimetric exposure assessments, and producing standardized reports for compliance and risk management.
Related standards
- ISO 7708 (particle size fractions)
- ISO 15767 (uncertainty in weighing aerosols)
- EN 689 (measurement and assessment strategies)
- EN 482 and EN 13205-1 (workplace air measurement and sampler performance)
Keywords: ISO 10882-1:2024, welding fumes, sampling airborne particles, breathing zone, gravimetric measurements, personal exposure, workplace air measurement, industrial hygienist.