Do you do your own air sampling? NFFS provides free equipment rentals

Testing air quality to ensure employees aren't exposed to harmful substances is an OSHA requirement for non-ferrous foundries. Some foundries hire outside vendors to perform air sampling within their plants, while others handle it internally. NFFS recommends that foundries learn to conduct their own air sampling to reduce costs and ensure the accuracy of the sampling data.

Foundries must conduct air sampling for airborne contaminants such as silica, respirable and total dust, lead, and other metals. Specialized equipment, including calibrated air pumps, sampling trains, and flow meters, is required to meet OSHA-required sampling methodology. This equipment can be expensive to purchase and time consuming to maintain. As a result, many foundries look to rent equipment from vendors, but these vendors can be difficult to locate.

When performing air sampling, a foundry must also identify a properly accredited lab capable of conducting the appropriate types of analytical analysis to generate sampling results for the foundry. The number of labs in the United States with the correct accreditations is small. In response, NFFS launched the Air Sampling Equipment Program in 2022, which provides NFFS members with the following benefits:

• Free access to air sampling equipment,
• Technical support via phone or e-mail,
• A 15% discount on analytical services from our partner lab, Analytics Corporation, and 
• The option to purchase pre-weighed Parallel Particulate Impactor samplers at cost during reservation, allowing immediate air sampling upon receipt of equipment and samplers from NFFS.

Here's how the program works:

1. NFFS members order equipment and testing materials from www.nffs.org/airsampling.
2. NFFS schedules the two-week loan period and confirms the delivery date.
3. NFFS ships the air sampling equipment package, including pumps, chargers, flow meters, optional sampling media, Chain of Custody Form, and shipping label.
4. The foundry conducts air sampling within two weeks using the provided equipment and methodology.
5. After sampling, the foundry returns the equipment, sends samples to Analytics Corporation for analysis, and receives the analysis report from the lab. Foundries can use the data to determine their own employee exposure levels and if there is a need for additional action.

For more details about the Air Sampling Equipment Program, visit www.nffs.org/airsampling.