Allergen monitoring

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) testing and monitoring helps you find the most effective ways to manage risk, prevent illness and injury and protect people at work.

Our allergen monitoring service can help you assess the effectiveness of your control measures in preventing exposure to major allergens in the workplace. Monitoring for allergens can also be used to inform risk assessments and identify high-risk activities.

We offer routine assays for the measurement of the following allergens.

Laboratory animal allergens

Laboratory animal allergens (LAAs) are recognised by HSE as a significant cause of occupational allergic disease in the UK. Consistently ranked amongst the top causes of occupational asthma, these allergens are susceptible to becoming airborne and contaminating surfaces or clothes leading to sensitisation of individuals and allergic symptoms.

Rat and mouse urinary protein

Our laboratory animal allergen service provides immunoassay methods for the analysis of rat and mouse urinary protein (Rat n1 and Mus m1). This involves internal quality controls and supporting data for all our recommended guidelines on transportation and storage. They can be tested on a single filter or wipe sample, allowing our clients to minimise the sampling workload.

Exposure monitoring can be performed as static air, personal air (providing information about specific task-related exposures) or surface wipe samples. Sampling kits can be ordered online.

Detection limits are appropriate for all sampling times, even short-term ones (10-15 minute sampling times), where the detection limit for MUP and RUP are approximately 1-2 nanograms per cubic meter (ng/m3) when sampling at 2 litres per minute (2 L/min).

HSE also offers interpretation on LAA results to our clients, based on the distribution of the extensive cumulative, anonymised data for atmospheric and surface monitoring. These data have been published in the following publications:

• Publication: Airborne exposure to laboratory animal allergens
• Publication: Airborne exposure to laboratory animal allergens: 2005-2022
• Publication: Relationship between exposure and respiratory health for laboratory animal allergens

Results are reported securely and confidentially solely to the customer within the agreed timeframe.

Industrial enzymes

Enzymes are considered to be hazardous substances and should be controlled according to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH). Many types of enzymes are increasingly being used to replace chemicals in a wide range of processes and industries.

more serious symptoms such as tightness of the chest and shortness of breath. We offer a generic protease assay and a specific Subtilisin Carlsberg as well as α amylase (on request).

Other workplace allergens

Please contact us to discuss any further assays you may require.

Why you should choose allergen monitoring from HSE

HSE’s allergen monitoring provides:

• highly sensitive and specific immunoassays developed for quantifying airborne allergen levels
• fully automated analysis of samples
• fast turnaround times with secure and confidential reporting of results
• appropriate filters available for personal/static sampling
• wipe kits available for surface contamination sampling
• appropriate transportation kits supplied
• advice, expertise and ongoing customer support
• ISO:9001 accredited laboratory
• in- house experts in occupational hygiene, respiratory protection and ventilation
• close partnerships with LAA specialists
• access to past anonymized results for benchmarking purposes

Order online

You can order these products online:

• PTFE filters (pack of 25)
• allergen wipe kits (pack of 10)

Other products

For other testing and monitoring services that are not available to order online check the testing and monitoring price list.

Get in touch

For more information or to make an enquiry about HSE’s testing and monitoring services get in touch on GOV.UK.