Video Exposure Monitoring and Position Tracking for Evaluating Particulate and Gas Exposures in a Fully Enclosed
Ariel Parker1,2, Austin Wardall1,2, Christin Duran1
1Performance Optimization Branch, Airman Biosciences Division, 711th Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson AFB, OH, USA.
Annals of Work Exposures and Health
|March 17, 2022
Summary
Instructors on small arms firing ranges face dynamic exposure risks. Exposure visualization technologies revealed peak ultrafine particle (UFP) and carbon monoxide (CO) levels near the firing line and air supply transitions.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health and Safety
- Environmental Monitoring
- Industrial Hygiene
Background:
- Small arms firing ranges present complex, dynamic exposure environments due to variable ventilation and personnel movement.
- Understanding how engineering controls and instructor behavior affect airborne contaminant levels is crucial for effective exposure mitigation strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of instructor location and activity on breathing zone exposures to ultrafine particles (UFPs) and carbon monoxide (CO) in an enclosed small arms firing range.
- To evaluate the utility of video exposure monitoring (VEM) and position tracking technologies for identifying high-exposure zones and informing risk assessments.
Main Methods:
- Utilized video exposure monitoring (VEM) with Enhanced Video Analysis of Dust Exposure 2.1 software to sync instructor activity with real-time exposure data.
- Employed ultra-wideband (UWB) position tracking technology (Pozyx system) to record instructor locations.
- Time-synchronized VEM, UWB data, and real-time measurements of UFPs and CO in the instructors' breathing zones.
Main Results:
- VEM identified significant peaks in UFP and CO concentrations when instructors were near the firing line assisting shooters and near the center range back wall, coinciding with air supply transitions.
- UWB position tracking corroborated VEM findings, confirming elevated exposures in these specific locations.
- Exposure visualization technologies were essential for identifying these exposure hotspots, which would likely be missed by traditional assessment methods.
Conclusions:
- Exposure visualization tools, combining VEM and position tracking, are valuable for pinpointing critical exposure areas in dynamic occupational settings like firing ranges.
- Peak exposures for instructors are linked to specific locations related to live fire activities and ventilation system characteristics.
- Future advancements should focus on automating exposure visualization analysis to improve efficiency in occupational exposure assessments.
