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SKerr  
#1 Posted : 15 June 2019 18:04:25(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
SKerr

As a H&S Officer I have been carrying out monitoring of styrene with a VOC monitor during a typical working shift of 8 hours. This monitor takes readings every 5 minutes and the highest peak is approx. 40 ppm. EH40 stayed that the long term exposure limit is 100 ppm so I know that this is well within that. What do I now need to do with this now as I don’t really understand WEL and STEL?
Roundtuit  
#2 Posted : 15 June 2019 20:41:42(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

WEL is the description there can be different values of WEL dependent upon if the exposure is for a standard 8 hour day aka LTEL or a short duration 15 minute period STEL
Roundtuit  
#3 Posted : 15 June 2019 20:41:42(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

WEL is the description there can be different values of WEL dependent upon if the exposure is for a standard 8 hour day aka LTEL or a short duration 15 minute period STEL
Woolf13  
#4 Posted : 18 June 2019 11:28:54(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Woolf13

WELs are British occupational exposure limits and are set in order to help protect the health of workers. WELs are concentrations of hazardous substances in the air, averaged over a specified period of time, referred to as a time-weighted average (TWA). Two time periods are generally used:

  • long-term LTEL (8 hours); and
  • short-term STEL (15 minutes)

Substances that have been assigned a WEL are subject to the requirements of COSHH. So, you should be COSHH assessing the substance and its application and communicating your findings to the workforce. You should also be implementing any additional controls identified e.g. engineering controls - extraction/ventilation, RPE and PPE and health surveillance etc.

I would also advise (and I say this with all due repsect) that you undertake a COSHH course because if you are the person tasked with the health and safety of the workforce, then not knowing the above or where to find it demonstrates a lack of knowledge and therefore competence in the subject.

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