Biological Monitoring is an essential and highly accurate tool used in occupational health to measure a worker’s total exposure to specific hazardous substances. Unlike air monitoring, which only measures contaminants in the surrounding environment, biological monitoring assesses the amount of the chemical, or its breakdown products (metabolites), that has been absorbed into the body via all routes—inhalation, ingestion, and, critically, through skin absorption.
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Stay Ahead of Hidden Chemical Risks with Biological Monitoring
Biological monitoring is a specific component of Health Surveillance under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002. It’s needed when standard control measures might not be fully effective, especially where there’s a risk of significant skin absorption or where exposure control relies heavily on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
How the Service Works
Biological monitoring involves taking a small biological sample – usually a urine or blood sample, or sometimes breath – at a time determined by the chemical’s behaviour in the body. The sample is analysed by an accredited laboratory for the presence of the hazardous substance or its metabolite.
The results are interpreted by an Occupational Health Physician (OHP) against established reference points, such as the HSE’s Biological Monitoring Guidance Values (BMGVs), and communicated confidentially to the employee and employer. If a level is elevated, immediate action is advised to investigate and improve workplace controls.
| Sector / Industry | Specific Job Roles | Chemicals Monitored (Examples) |
| Manufacturing & Engineering | Foundry Workers, Battery Recyclers, Welders | Lead, Cadmium, Chromium, Nickel |
| Chemical Processing | Operators, Maintenance/Cleaning Staff | Benzene, Solvents (Toluene, Xylene) |
| Automotive & Painting | Vehicle Paint Sprayers, Body Shop Technicians | Isocyanates (used in paints and lacquers) |
| Polymer & Rubber | Manufacturing Staff | MbOCA (a curing agent and suspected carcinogen) |
| Petrochemical/Offshore | Tank Cleaners, Lab Technicians | Solvents, specific heavy metals |
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