European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
Elke Schneider
BIOLOGICAL MONITORING AT WORK: GUIDANCE FOR OSH EXPERTS AND WORKPLACES
Table of Contents
Introduction
Definitions
Health surveillance
Biological monitoring/biomonitoring
Biological limit value
Biological guidance value
Background
Relation to air monitoring
Criteria for the application of biomonitoring
Conclusions drawn from biological monitoring
Ethical issues
Consent
Requirements on those who carry out health surveillance and biological monitoring
How to set up a biomonitoring programme
Information for employers who want to set up a biomonitoring programme
Defining the purpose of biomonitoring
Consultation on the programme with workers or their representatives
Discussing and agreeing on the programme with the individual workers concerned
Managing a workplace biomonitoring programme
Who should be subjected to biomonitoring?
Selection of biomonitoring methods
Choice of test parameter
Sampling
Quality assurance
What elements must be taken into consideration to interpret the results of occupational biomonitoring?
Biomonitoring for prevention
Action in case of a health problem or exceedance of a BLV
Health surveillance and biomonitoring after the end of exposure
Record-keeping
Individual records
Collective results
Information about biomonitoring results to the concerned parties
Worker information
Information to the employer
Costs
Information for workers
When do I need health surveillance including biomonitoring?
Who carries out biomonitoring and monitors my health?
Who pays for biomonitoring or health surveillance?
What is a biomonitoring report and what is in it?
Do I have to undergo health surveillance and biomonitoring?
References
ANNEX 1
Choice of test parameter
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© European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 2025
fonte: osha.europa.eu