Trolex, the leading manufacturer of health and safety technology products for workers operating in hazardous environments is delighted to announce the launch of the world’s first real time detector for silica particulates, the Air XS Silica Monitor.

Silica is the biggest risk to construction workers after asbestos, from the inhalation of silica dust particulates in the workplace and an estimated 600,000 workers are exposed to silica each year in the UK.

Yet silicosis* is entirely preventable and the Air XS Silica Monitor is set to revolutionise worker safety within the construction industry by delivering real-time detection of dangerous respirable crystalline silica (RCS) particulates in airborne dust mixtures – on the job.

Requiring no complicated set-up and only five minutes of maintenance a month, the Air XS Silica Monitor is easy-to-use and provides accurate monitoring with minimal training.

The Air XS Silica Monitor displays the presence of RCS mass by volume, while also being able to distinguish the presence of RSC within dust mixtures. In addition, the Air XS Silica Monitor can track changing concentrations of RCS content over time, letting workers know if the amount of RCS in their workspace is increasing as they work and when it has risen to dangerous levels.

This real time monitoring helps prevent silicosis associated diseases caused by RCS inhalation, providing safety and security for workers and businesses. The Air XS Silica Monitor allows for programming of on-device exposure limit thresholds and warnings (Short Term Exposure Limits and Time Weighted Averages) allowing for easy customisation of monitoring limits as needed.

Glyn Pierce-Jones, Trolex CEO said: “This is an exciting product in real time silica dust monitoring. The Air XS is a global-leading solution to an increasing health problem in many industries. Real time silica monitoring is the safest and most cost-effective way to promote workers’ health in the industries associated with RCS.�

The Air XS will substantially reduce the number of surveys needed onsite, improve processes create smart ventilation and extraction systems and identify inefficienciesâ€�. *Silicosis is the most common chronic occupational lung disease worldwide, affecting thousands of workers every year – it increases the risks of tuberculosis, kidney disease, arthritis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, lung cancer and chronic bronchitis.