Dust monitoring measures the airborne and settled dust your work produces, so you can check the effectiveness of your controls, show regulators and neighbours the results and act before dust levels breach a licence condition or put employees at risk.
We design, install and run dust monitoring systems across WA for mining, construction, civil, industrial and land development projects. Systems can range from a single deposition gauge to networks of real-time monitors with alerts and automated reports.
Dust is grouped by particle size. The size of a particle is what decides how far it travels and how deep it reaches into the lungs.
Deposited dust: heavier, larger particles that settle close to the source and cause nuisance on cars, roofs and washing. They are measured in grams per square metre per month.
TSP (total suspended particulate): all particles small enough to stay airborne.
PM10 and PM2.5: particles under 10 and 2.5 micrometres, respectively. These can be inhaled and are the basis of the national ambient air quality standards.
Respirable and inhalable dust: the size fractions used to assess worker exposure, including respirable crystalline silica.
Most environmental and occupational hygiene programs pair a PM10 or TSP measure for health impact with deposited dust for nuisance.
Real-time monitors measure particulate concentrations continuously and send the data by telemetry, so you see levels rise while the activity causing them is still running. They are the main tool for earthworks, haul roads, stockpiles and blasting, where conditions can change through the day.
A dust deposition gauge collects settled dust in a funnel and bottle over about 30 days, with the sample sent for laboratory analyses under AS/NZS 3580.10.1. Gauges are low cost and suit baseline studies, ongoing boundary records and projects where nuisance is the main concern.
High volume air samplers draw a measured volume of air through a pre-weighed filter, which is re-weighed and can be analysed for metals or silica.
Where results have to stand as compliance evidence, continuous mass instruments are used instead. Our team often turn to BAM and TEOM monitoring for these tasks.
Personal sampling places a pump and filter in a worker’s breathing zone for a full shift to measure that person’s exposure to respirable dust particles and crystalline silica. Our occupational hygienists run these health and safety programs alongside environmental boundary monitoring for a holistic view of site risk.
Each dust monitoring system we deploy is built as a complete station:
Solar panels and deep cycle batteries keep it running without mains power
3G/4G telemetry sends data to our Client Portal, where you can view graphs and download data at any time
SMS and email alerts when readings reach the threshold levels set for your project
Skid-mounted enclosures relocate as the job moves
Weather stations, noise and vibration sensors can share the same enclosure if you wish to expand your monitoring program
Our equipment includes DustTrak real-time monitors (PM1, PM2.5, respirable, PM10), continuous mass monitors, deposition gauges and weather stations.
Deploying a weather station alongside dust equipment can be incredibly valuable. Pairing dust data with wind speed and direction shows whether a reading came from your operations or from upwind sources, which matters when a complaint or exceedance is investigated.
We have dust monitors and equipment for hire and can support your team with delivery, setup and data access. For a full service monitoring program designed around your approvals, fill out the form below.
A dust management plan sets out how a project will control dust, how it will be monitored and what happens when levels rise. In Western Australia, local governments often require such a plan before earthworks start. DWER can also require one for licensed premises, as can site specific planning approvals.
The state guideline for land development and remediation scores each site from Class 1 (negligible risk) to Class 4 (high risk), based on soil type, area disturbed, type of work and distance to neighbours. Class 3 and 4 sites are expected to monitor on-site against short-term criteria and at the boundary or nearest sensitive receptor. Locations close to other land uses move up a class in the dry season from October to March.
A workable plan at Class 3 or 4 usually includes:
A risk assessment of the activities most likely to generate dust
Monitor numbers and locations, chosen against prevailing winds and receptors
Trigger levels for corrective action and for stopping activity, with the controls that apply at each one
Complaint handling and the timeframe for reporting exceedances
The trigger levels are set case by case. Off-site results are usually compared with the national PM10 standard of 50 micrograms per cubic metre as a 24-hour average.
Our team assist with writing the monitoring section, choosing triggers that suit the job and designing and install the monitoring systems that measure against them. That end-to-end service ensures the plan and data match.
Our team are available to deploy tailored dust monitoring systems on sites across Perth and regional WA.
Fill out the form below and let us know the location, how long you need monitoring for and what it has to show (licence compliance, a dust management plan or worker exposure). We’ll recommend the equipment and monitor locations and send a proposal with pricing.
Limits for workers are set nationally by Safe Work Australia. From 1 December 2026 they are known as the ‘Workplace Exposure Limits’.
These standards compare personal sampling results with the limit for the specific dust, such as respirable crystalline silica, averaged over an eight-hour shift.