Automatization and Remote Control of the Procedures Necessary for Monitoring the Workplace

Workplace surveillance is necessary to ensure a healthy working environment. This task requires ensuring compliance with safety and health standards in the work environment and monitoring factors that could potentially impact workers' health, such as sanitary facilities, canteens, and any housing the employer provides. Such monitoring ought to be conducted methodically. Specific health risks may require monitoring; thus, surveillance programmes should monitor worker exposure to such hazards. This work collects the results of the research activity on the automatization and remote control of the procedures necessary for monitoring the workplace exploited at the Occupational and Environmental Hygiene and Toxicology Laboratory of the University of Florence. The research activity hereby presented mainly focuses on sample collection and pre-treatment, every aspect linked to formaldehyde exposure and monitoring, and airborne particulate matter exposure, with particular attention on nanoparticle exposure and odour nuisances. For each one of the arguments, the outcome of both bibliographic research and experimental studies are outlined in the manuscript. Considering and possible future trends are presented based on the case studies performed during the research.