as2985-checker

AS 2985:2009 — Workplace Atmospheres Sampling and Gravimetric Determination

Purpose

This skill provides reference material for AS 2985:2009, the Australian Standard for sampling and gravimetric determination of respirable dust in workplace atmospheres. It ensures accurate technical information when producing occupational hygiene reports, dust sampling procedures, air monitoring documentation, and compliance analyses relating to respirable dust measurement.

Critical Rules

1. Only cite provisions that appear in the section files. Never fabricate or assume technical requirements, calculations, or apparatus specifications.
2. Preserve technical accuracy. All flow rates, filter specifications, balance requirements, equations, and tolerance values must be quoted exactly as they appear in the standard.
3. Use conservative, factual language when describing sampling procedures and calculation methods. Avoid interpretation or extrapolation beyond what the standard states.
4. Always use Australian English spelling (e.g. behaviour, organisation, colour, centre, analyse).
5. If a provision cannot be located in these files, state that the specific technical requirement should be verified against the current standard document.
6. Limit of Reporting and Uncertainty. Only cite the practical limits and balance requirements explicitly stated in the standard; do not assume detection limits without reference to the relevant section.

Section Index

Read the relevant section file(s) based on the technical domain of the query:

File	Section	Coverage	When to Read
sections/s01-scope-definitions.md	Sections 1–4	Scope, objective, referenced documents, key definitions (breathing zone, EAD, field blank, limit of performance, respirable dust, Table 1)	Any query about scope of the standard, definitions of respirable dust, sampling efficiency criteria, measurement parameters
sections/s02-apparatus.md	Sections 5–6	Principle, apparatus including sampling systems, sampling devices (cyclones), filter requirements, sampling pumps, flow meter calibration, microbalance specifications, static elimination	Apparatus selection, filter specifications, pump requirements, microbalance calibration schedule, pulsation ratio limits, flow rate accuracy
sections/s03-procedure.md	Sections 7–8	Flow rate determination, detailed sampling procedure including pre-weighing, sampling protocol, transport, post-sampling weighing	Sampling methodology, filter pre-conditioning, weighing checks, field sampling steps, sample transport, post-sampling procedures
sections/s04-calculations-reporting.md	Sections 9–12	Calculations with equations 9.1–9.4, expression of uncertainty, limit of reporting, reporting requirements for gravimetric and concentration reports	Dust weight calculations, air volume calculations, concentration calculations, reporting thresholds, report content requirements
sections/s05-appendices.md	Appendices A–B	Bibliography (18 references) and normative calibration procedure for secondary flowmeters	Secondary flowmeter calibration method, primary flowmeter setup, soap film technique, calibration records

Workflow

1. Identify the technical domain from the user's query (apparatus, procedure, calculations, calibration, reporting)
2. Read the relevant section file(s) — read only what is needed, not all files
3. Cite specifications accurately from the extracted text (e.g. "AS 2985:2009 specifies...")
4. Cross-reference between sections where appropriate (e.g. apparatus specifications in Section 6 apply alongside flow rate determination in Section 7)
5. Flag any gaps — if additional information from other standards (e.g. AS 3640 for inhalable dust, ISO 7708 for particle size definitions) is required, note this clearly

Common Query Routing

Query Topic	Primary Section(s)	Coverage
Respirable dust definition and criteria	Sections 1–4	Scope, objective, definitions, Table 1 sampling efficiency
Cyclone sampler selection and flow rates	Section 6	Table 2 designated flow rates for BCIRA, SIMPEDS, aluminium cyclones
Filter specification and material	Section 6	Filter size, pore size, material selection (PVC, polycarbonate, cellulose)
Microbalance requirements and calibration	Section 6	Five-place and six-place specifications, calibration schedule (3-yearly), repeatability tests (6-monthly), limit of performance
Sampling pump specifications	Section 6	Flow rate accuracy (±0.1 L/min), pulsation ratio (≤0.2), automatic flow control
Sampling procedure and protocol	Section 8	Pre-weighing, sampling steps, flow rate checks, transport, post-sampling weighing
Dust concentration calculation	Section 9	Equations 9.1–9.4, blank correction, flow rate averaging, volume calculation
Measurement uncertainty	Section 10	Reference to ISO 15767 and ISO 20988
Reporting limits and thresholds	Section 11	Practical limit of reporting (0.01 mg/m³ for six-place, 0.1 mg/m³ for five-place)
Report content and requirements	Section 12	Gravimetric report contents, concentration report contents, significant figures, reference requirements
Secondary flowmeter calibration	Appendix B	Soap film flowmeter procedure, primary flowmeter setup, calibration technique, calibration records

Version Information

• AS 2985:2009: Third edition, published 2 November 2009
• Source: Standards Australia, Committee CH-031 (Methods for Examination of Workplace Atmospheres)
• Copyright: Standards Australia. All rights reserved.

Note: This skill covers AS 2985:2009 only. For inhalable dust sampling, refer to AS 3640. For particle size definitions, see ISO 7708. For uncertainty in weighing, see ISO 15767 and ISO 20988. For critical compliance decisions or current amendments, verify against the current standard document published by Standards Australia at www.standards.org.au