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Personal Air Sampling

Personal air sampling measures what a particular worker breathes during a particular task. It is a professional tool, and the results are only as good as the method.

What is personal air sampling?

Personal air sampling uses a small device worn near a worker's breathing zone to collect air during a task or shift. The sample is then analyzed, usually by a laboratory, to estimate how much of a substance the person was exposed to.

This is different from area monitoring, which measures air at a fixed spot. Personal sampling can show differences between people doing different tasks in the same building, which is useful on farms where jobs vary a great deal.

Because the equipment, method and analysis must be done correctly, sampling is generally done by trained professionals such as industrial hygienists. Ask for the report in writing and keep it with your safety records. Ask whether the results will be explained to workers in a meeting or in writing.

Why would a farm do it?

Sampling can help answer a specific question: is this task exposing workers to levels that need stronger controls? The answer can guide decisions about ventilation, work practices, and whether respirators are needed.

It can also document conditions before and after you make changes, showing whether an improvement worked.

Share the purpose of sampling with the whole crew before it starts. People who understand why the device is there are more likely to wear it correctly and to report anything unusual during the shift.

• Evaluate a dusty or fume-producing task
• Decide whether controls are working
• Support a respirator program decision
• Respond to repeated worker symptoms

What do the numbers mean?

Results are compared with exposure limits set by official bodies. Those limits differ by substance and organization, and they change over time. This article does not state any limits, and you should not compare results to numbers you find online without help.

A qualified professional can explain what the result means for your operation, and what steps follow. OSHA and NIOSH publish information on exposure assessment and on how limits are used.

Ask the professional to explain what tasks were sampled, how long, and under what conditions. A sample taken on an unusually quiet day may not reflect the busiest part of the season, so context matters.

Can you do it yourself?

Buying a pump and filter cassette is not the same as running a valid sample. Flow rates, sampling time, equipment calibration, handling of samples and laboratory choice all affect the outcome. A poorly done sample can give false reassurance or needless alarm.

If you are curious about your farm's exposures, ask a professional rather than guessing. Some state agricultural health programs and university extension services can point you to qualified help.

If a result suggests a problem, treat it as a starting point for improvement rather than a verdict. Work with your advisor to choose changes, then consider checking again to see whether they helped.

How do workers take part?

Workers wearing a sampler should be told what it is for, how to wear it, and that it is not a performance test. Explain that the goal is to assess the work environment, not to judge them.

Share results in plain language with the people who were sampled. If controls change, tell them what changed and why. Trust makes future safety efforts easier.

Industrial hygienists are trained to plan sampling, choose the right equipment and interpret what the lab reports. Ask about their experience with agriculture, since farm tasks and conditions differ from factory settings in ways that affect how sampling should be planned.

What other tools complement sampling?

Observation, worker feedback, medical evaluation and equipment inspection all matter. Sampling is one piece. If workers report symptoms, a health provider familiar with occupational conditions can evaluate them whatever the sample shows.

Keep records of when and how sampling was done, and who did it. Good records matter if you later change a process or need to show what you did.

Where can you get help?

Start with your state extension office, your insurer's loss-control staff, or an occupational health clinic. OSHA's on-site consultation program, which may be available in your state, offers confidential help to some employers. Confirm eligibility and details with OSHA directly.

Ask about cost before you start, and choose providers who explain their method plainly. Never feel pressured to buy equipment or services you do not understand.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Safety Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.