Abstract
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) as one of the five most urgent risks to public health. Given that heavy equipment operators spend most of their workday inside of the equipment cab, poor IAQ may be a significant health issue for them. Heavy equipment operates in a harsh environment that includes temperature and humidity extremes, as well as dusty conditions that also exacerbate IAQ conditions. Furthermore, the equipment operator sits in close proximity to a high pollution source – the tailpipe of the equipment. IAQ in HDD equipment must be characterized in order to determine the severity of the problem. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not have specific standards for diesel‐related pollutants from heavy equipment; however, they do have Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL) for many of the constituent pollutants found in diesel exhaust. These constituents include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides. Diesel particulate matter is not specifically regulated by OSHA but it is included in the PEL for Total Dust. The primary objective of this research is to collect and analyze pollutant data from in-use construction equipment in order to characterize the in-cab IAQ. Outcomes of the research will lead to a better understanding of the environment in which construction equipment operators work and whether or not additional research is needed to specifically characterize operator exposure to certain pollutants.
Research Investigators (PI*)
Phi Lewis*, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Andrea Strzlec, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Project Information
Start Date: February 1, 2018
End Date: May 31, 2019
Status: Completed
Grant Number: 69A3551747128
Source Organization: CARTEEH UTC
Project Number: TTI-01-11
TRID URL
UTC Project Information Form
CARTEEH Focus Area
Emissions and Energy Estimation
Exposure and Health Impacts
Data Integration
Sponsor
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
University Transportation Centers Program
Department of Transportation
Washington, DC 20590 United States
Performing Organization
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Texas A&M University System
1111 RELLIS PARKWAY, Bryan, TX 77807
