Prevent ill-health in the workplace with occupational hygiene analysis
As companies have a legal and ethical responsibility to protect the health, safety, and welfare of team members and customers, accurate and robust occupational hygiene analysis is vital. This helps occupational hygienists assess the risk to human health to help companies maintain compliance and safeguard their workers.
Marchwood is the UK’s leading specialist laboratory for UKAS accredited occupational hygiene analysis for the occupational and air quality sectors.
Get in touch for a conversation about occupational hygiene analysis
Why should I use Marchwood for occupational hygiene analysis?
As the UK’s leading specialist laboratory for occupational hygiene and air quality analysis, we provide high quality, accurate analytical services for these sectors. Our investment in state-of-the-art equipment, as well as our decades of experience, provides confidence in our robust data. Our expertise means we can work closely with customers to develop cost-effective and timely solutions for specific requirements.
What occupational hygiene services are available?
We offer a range of UKAS accredited services to help businesses maintain compliance with legislation and protect workers. These include dust and gravimetric, acid mist, metals, arsenic, fumes, VOCs and SVOCs, diesel exhaust emissions, ambient air, hexavalent chromium, aldehydes, and biological monitoring. For more information on biological monitoring, read our FAQs below.
What guidelines are followed for occupational hygiene analysis?
Routine tests are based on Methods for the Determination of Hazardous Substances (MDHS), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) methodologies for full compliance.
What do I get with occupational hygiene analysis?
We provide pre-paid return labels and bags with all sample kits, which are supplied with same-day dispatch. Completely free of charge, these kits comprise equipment unique to the service ordered, pre-paid return envelope and Haribo! This all makes the sampling process for biological monitoring and other services as easy and efficient as possible. We also support you with expert technical advice on which analysis services you need for your workplace, as well as sampling protocols and media requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Why monitor occupational health?
Companies are legally and ethically required to protect the health, safety, and welfare of anyone that comes into contact with their business. There are a variety of parameters that can cause ill-health in the workplace, including chemical, physical, biological and ergonomic agents. These can cause harmful effects, from respiratory irritants and bacterial infection to muscular disorders and cancer.
Monitoring occupational health with expert analysis does not just help businesses maintain compliance and occupational hygienists to do their job, but it also helps to protect worker, public, and environmental health.
How do I assess direct chemical exposure?
Biological monitoring is the best solution for assessing direct chemical exposure, as it provides a clear snapshot of the overall safety of a workplace. This is done with a urine sample, which is useful in workplace environments where chemicals can be absorbed through the skin.
Our urine analysis tests for exposure to chemicals or metabolites, including isocyanates, VOCs, and metals. We correct our results in line with published guidance from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) to compare exposure limits easily.
Biological monitoring is a useful tool for businesses, as it helps check that workplace practices are protective, that control measures are working, and that their training is understood and followed by all employees.
Does Marchwood offer specialist occupational hygiene services?
Our decades of experience mean we regularly develop new analysis methods in line with customer requirements. We also work closely with customers to develop effective solutions for specific needs.
For example, we offer analysis of low level acrolein using GC/QQQ, low level hexavalent chromium, and low level metal by ICP/MS. By testing substances at lower exposure levels, we are increasing the accuracy of results, helping businesses protect workers and maintain compliance even more thoroughly.
How long does occupational hygiene testing take?
Marchwood’s turnaround times start at 7 working days, so you can get results as quickly as possible.