What contaminants should be monitored for air quality?

The contaminants to monitor depend on the substances used, generated or emitted at the site. Common workplace contaminants include volatile organic compounds (VOCs, measured by PID), carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen dioxide, welding fumes, solvent vapours and respirable dust. EPA-regulated contaminants typically include particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, ozone and specific process emissions. The monitoring programme should be based on a risk assessment of the substances present and the applicable regulatory requirements.

What are workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants?

Safe Work Australia publishes workplace exposure standards (WES) that set the maximum airborne concentration of a substance that workers can be exposed to without adverse health effects. Standards are expressed as 8-hour time-weighted averages (TWA) and short-term exposure limits (STEL, 15-minute average). For example, the TWA WES for toluene is 50 ppm and the STEL is 150 ppm. The WHS Regulations 2011, Part 7.1 requires PCBUs to ensure worker exposure does not exceed the WES.

How often should air quality be monitored at an industrial facility?

Occupational monitoring should be conducted at least quarterly for high-risk processes and annually for moderate-risk processes. EPA licence conditions typically specify the monitoring frequency for each pollutant, ranging from continuous monitoring for major sources to quarterly or annual sampling for smaller facilities. Baseline monitoring should be conducted when new processes are introduced. Re-monitoring is required after any change to processes, controls or substances.

What instruments are used for air quality monitoring?

Common instruments include photoionisation detectors (PIDs) for total VOC measurement, electrochemical gas sensors for specific gases (CO, H2S, NO2, SO2), infrared analysers for combustible gases, personal sampling pumps with sorbent tubes or filter cassettes for laboratory analysis, and real-time particulate monitors. For EPA compliance, reference method instruments may be required (such as high-volume samplers for PM10). All instruments must be calibrated per manufacturer specifications before each monitoring event.

How long should air quality monitoring records be kept?

Worker exposure monitoring records should be retained for a minimum of 30 years under WHS Regulations 2011 Schedule 14 because chronic health effects from airborne contaminants such as carcinogens, sensitisers and asbestos can emerge decades after exposure. Environmental monitoring results submitted under an EPA licence should be retained for at least seven years, or for the period specified in the licence conditions, whichever is longer. Calibration certificates, NATA laboratory reports and chain-of-custody records should be filed alongside the monitoring log so the result remains defensible during an EPA audit.

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Free air quality monitoring log (PDF-ready). Record VOC, particulate and gas readings for WES and EPA compliance. Digitise with MapTrack.

Jarrod Milford

Commercial Director

Updated 2 May 2026

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Updated 2 May 2026

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What is a air quality monitoring log?

An air quality monitoring log is a document used to record airborne contaminant measurements including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), gases (carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen dioxide), particulate matter and other pollutants at workplace locations and site boundaries. The log captures the monitoring date, location, contaminant type, measurement instrument, concentration reading, applicable workplace exposure standard (WES) or EPA limit, and whether the result is within the permissible level.

Air quality monitoring is essential for both worker health protection and environmental compliance. The WHS Regulations 2011, Part 7.1 requires PCBUs to ensure worker exposure to airborne contaminants does not exceed Safe Work Australia workplace exposure standards. State EPA legislation requires industrial facilities to monitor and report emissions that may affect ambient air quality. National Environment Protection Measures (NEPMs) set ambient air quality standards for criteria pollutants. Without documented air quality monitoring, organisations cannot demonstrate compliance with either occupational or environmental regulations, and workers may be exposed to harmful concentrations of airborne contaminants.

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Benefits of using this air quality monitoring log

Worker health protection: tracks airborne contaminant levels against workplace exposure standards to prevent occupational illness.
EPA compliance: documents ambient air quality monitoring required by EPA licences and development approvals.
Hazard identification: identifies work areas, processes and conditions that generate elevated contaminant levels.
Control verification: post-control monitoring confirms that ventilation, enclosure and extraction systems are effective.
Trend analysis: comparing readings over time reveals deteriorating conditions, process changes or seasonal patterns.
Legal evidence: documented monitoring demonstrates the PCBU has taken reasonably practicable steps to manage airborne risks.

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When you move your log / registers from paper to MapTrack, you get:

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What to include in a air quality monitoring log

This air quality monitoring log covers 10 key areas:

Site details: site name, facility type, monitoring programme reference, responsible person.
Monitoring event: date, time start and end, weather conditions (temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction).
Monitoring location: area description, site plan reference, indoor or outdoor, distance from emission source.
Equipment: instrument type (photoionisation detector, gas detector, particulate sampler), ID, calibration date.
Contaminant measured: substance name, CAS number (if applicable), measurement units (ppm, mg/m3, ug/m3).
Measurement result: concentration reading, averaging period (15-minute, 8-hour TWA, instantaneous peak).
Applicable standard: WES value, EPA licence limit or NEPM ambient standard, result comparison (below/at/above).
Controls in place: ventilation, extraction, enclosure, RPE, process controls.
Exceedance actions: if standard exceeded, immediate actions taken, area evacuated or restricted, additional controls.
Sign-off: monitoring officer name and qualifications, date, next monitoring event.

How to use this air quality monitoring log

Plan the monitoring programme and prepare instruments: Identify the contaminants to be monitored based on the substances used or generated on site. Select the appropriate monitoring instruments (PID for VOCs, electrochemical sensors for gases, gravimetric samplers for particulates). Calibrate instruments per the manufacturer instructions using certified calibration gases or standards.
Deploy monitoring equipment at designated locations: For occupational monitoring, position personal samplers in the worker breathing zone or deploy area monitors at representative work locations. For environmental monitoring, position instruments at site boundary locations specified in the EPA licence. Record the exact location, start time and weather conditions.
Collect readings over the required monitoring period: For short-term exposure limit (STEL) monitoring, collect 15-minute samples during peak exposure tasks. For TWA monitoring, sample over the full 8-hour shift. For ambient monitoring, follow the EPA-specified averaging period. Record instantaneous readings and continuous data logger output where applicable.
Retrieve data, calculate exposure and compare to standards: Download data from instruments and calculate time-weighted averages. Compare occupational readings to Safe Work Australia WES values. Compare ambient readings to EPA licence limits or NEPM standards. Flag any readings that exceed or approach the applicable standard.
Record results, act on exceedances and file the log: Enter all results on the monitoring log with the applicable standard and comparison outcome. For exceedances, implement immediate controls (increase ventilation, provide RPE, restrict access), investigate the cause and record corrective actions. File the completed log in the occupational health and environmental management records.

In MapTrack, you can track environmental compliance and waste management digitally. Each submission is stored as a timestamped PDF against the asset record.

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How often should you complete this log / register?

Air quality monitoring frequency depends on the contaminants, risk level and regulatory requirements. For occupational exposure monitoring, quarterly monitoring is recommended for processes using hazardous chemicals, with re-monitoring after any process or control changes. EPA licence conditions typically specify continuous, daily, monthly or quarterly ambient monitoring depending on the contaminant and facility risk. Baseline monitoring should be conducted when new processes or substances are introduced. Safe Work Australia recommends repeating monitoring whenever there is a reason to believe exposures may have changed.

Frequently asked questions

Applicable regulatory standards

This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:

WHS Regulations 2011, Part 7.1 - Exposure to airborne contaminants
National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure (NEPM)

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