What is BS EN 16966 about?
BS EN 16966 is an international standard that discusses workplace exposure and measures associated with workplace safety.
BS EN 16966 specifies the use of different metrics for the measurement of exposure by inhalation of nano-objects and their aggregates and agglomerates (NOAA) during a basic assessment and a comprehensive assessment, respectively, as described in EN 17058.
BS EN 16966 demonstrates the implications of the choice of particle metric to express the exposure by inhalation to airborne NOAA, for example, released from nanomaterials1) and presents the principles of operation, advantages, and disadvantages of various techniques that measure the different aerosol metrics.
BS EN 16966 is for those responsible for selecting measurement methods for occupational exposure to airborne NOAA.
Who is BS EN 16966 for?
BS EN 16966 on workplace exposure is useful for:
- Manufacturers of nanomaterials
- Testing laboratories
- Human resources executives
- Occupational hygienist
- Other executives responsible for health and safety of employees
Why should you use BS EN 16966?
Historically, workers’ occupational exposure to airborne non-radioactive particles has been expressed as mass concentrations. The main exception has been fibres of various compositions that have been given as a number concentration for fibres within specified diameter and length limits.
BS EN 16966 discusses particle metrics and their selection, workplace aerosols consisting of NOAA, NOAA, NOAA number metric, NOAA surface area metric, and NOAA mass, and occupational exposure limits for NOAA.
BS EN 16966 provides specific information that is mainly given for the following metrics/measurement techniques:
- Number/Condensation Particle Counters by optical detection
- Number size distribution/differential mobility analyzing systems by electrical mobility
- Surface area/electrical charge on the available particle surface
- Mass/chemical analyses (for example Inductively Coupled Plasma atomic Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF)) on size-selective samples (for example by impaction or diffusion)
BS EN 16966 highlights the potential problems and limitations that need to be addressed while carrying out the compliance measurements at the time of adopting the occupational exposure limit values.
