Metal Fabrication, Foundry & Welding Industrial Hygiene Testing
Worker exposure monitoring for fabrication shops, machine shops, foundries and steel mills — welding fume, manganese, hexavalent chromium and grinding silica analyzed in-house at our Houston lab, with 1-day rush, same-day log-in, and kits shipped to shops anywhere in the U.S.
Why Fabrication Shops, Foundries & Mills Run Their Monitoring With Us
Accredited & Defensible
AIHA-LAP analysis that holds up with OSHA, legal counsel and insurers — the standard for welding-fume compliance.
Full Metals Panel
Manganese, chromium, nickel, iron oxide and 30+ elements by ICP-AES — plus hexavalent chromium by OSHA ID-215.
In-House, One Lab
Every analyte under one roof, one chain of custody, consistent methods across your whole program — wherever your shops are.
1-Day Rush
Same-day log-in before 2 PM CST and rush to 1 business day when a result is time-sensitive.
Exposure Monitoring for Welding, Grinding, Casting & Rolling
Fabrication shops, machine shops, foundries and steel mills concentrate metal-fume and dust exposures that OSHA watches closely — manganese and hexavalent chromium in welding fume, respirable crystalline silica from grinding, refractory and foundry sand, carbon monoxide around furnaces, and lead from cutting coated or leaded metal. AGT Labs is the accredited industrial hygiene lab behind that monitoring, analyzing every sample in-house in Houston.
Fabrication and welding happen in every state, and the standards don't change with the zip code. We serve shops anywhere in the United States — kits ship out, samples come back by prepaid return label, and the analysis is identical wherever it was collected. Multi-plant groups get one lab, one method set and directly comparable numbers across every location.
Welding is the core exposure driver in most shops — and since 2017 IARC has classified welding fumes as a Group 1 human carcinogen, which raises the bar on exposure documentation well beyond the Cr(VI) rule alone. See our dedicated welding fume analysis and hexavalent chromium methods for the full detail.
- Welding fume and metals — manganese, chromium, nickel, iron oxide — by ICP-AES
- Hexavalent chromium by OSHA ID-215 for stainless and high-chrome alloys
- Respirable crystalline silica from grinding, refractory and foundry sand by XRD
- Lead by NIOSH 7300 / 7082 from cutting coated or leaded stock
- Carbon monoxide around furnaces, pouring floors and hot mills
- Metalworking-fluid and oil mist, degreasing solvents, dust, noise and heat stress
The Exposures That Define Fabrication Work
Welding, grinding and casting generate a distinct metal-fume and dust mix. These are the exposures our shop monitoring is built around.
Welding Fume & Manganese
Every welding process releases metal fume — manganese is the primary neurological concern. Analyzed with the full metals panel by ICP-AES.
Hexavalent Chromium
Stainless and high-chrome alloy welding generates Cr(VI), a regulated carcinogen. Analyzed by OSHA ID-215.
Grinding & Foundry Silica
Grinding, cutting, refractory work and foundry sand release respirable crystalline silica — analyzed by X-ray diffraction.
What We Analyze for Fabrication, Foundry & Mill Sites
Every analyte below is run in-house under accreditation. Tap any card for the full method detail on our service pages.
Welding Fume & Metals
ICP-AES for manganese, chromium, nickel, iron oxide and 30+ elements.
View Service →Respirable Silica
XRD for grinding, cutting, refractory and foundry-sand respirable silica.
View Service →Metalworking Fluid & Oil Mist
Gravimetric mist analysis for machining, grinding and screw-machine coolant aerosols.
View Service →Degreasing Solvents
Parts washing, vapor degreasing and cleaning solvent vapors by sorbent tube.
View Service →Total & Respirable Dust
Gravimetric particulate for shakeout, material handling and general shop dust.
View Service →Exposure Monitoring by Shop & Mill Process
The dominant hazard shifts with the process. We match the sampling plan to the work.
| Process | Dominant Activity | Priority Analytes | Lab Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welding (carbon) | MIG, TIG, stick, flux-core | Manganese, iron oxide, metals | ICP-AES |
| Welding (stainless) | High-chrome alloys | Hexavalent chromium, nickel | OSHA ID-215 · ICP-AES |
| Grinding & cutting | Surface prep, abrasive wheels | Respirable silica, metals | XRD · ICP-AES |
| Machining & coolant use | CNC, screw machines, grinding | Metalworking fluid / oil mist | Gravimetric |
| Parts cleaning & degreasing | Solvent tanks, vapor degreasers | Solvent vapors | Sorbent tube · GC |
| Foundry & casting | Molding, pouring, shakeout | Silica, metals, CO, heat | XRD · ICP-AES · WBGT |
| Furnace & hot mill | Blast furnace, BOF, EAF, hot rolling | Carbon monoxide, iron oxide, heat | ICP-AES · WBGT |
| Refractory work | Furnace and ladle relining | Respirable silica, dust | XRD · gravimetric |
| Coated / leaded stock | Cutting painted or leaded metal | Lead, metals | NIOSH 7300 / 7082 |
Steel Mills & Primary Metals
Primary metals production carries a heavier hazard load than fabrication. Carbon monoxide is the exposure OSHA specifically associates with blast furnace, basic oxygen and sinter plant operations, at a 50 ppm 8-hour PEL. Add iron oxide fume (OSHA 10 mg/m³, but ACGIH 5 mg/m³ on a respirable basis), respirable silica from furnace and ladle refractory work, lead, hexavalent chromium, and some of the most severe heat-stress conditions in industry. The laboratory analytes we run in-house.
One exception, stated plainly. Coke oven emissions under 29 CFR 1910.1029 have a 150 µg/m³ PEL measured as the benzene-soluble fraction of total particulate by OSHA Method 58. That is a specialised benzene-extraction gravimetric workflow rather than a routine order — contact us in advance to scope it rather than adding it to a standard kit request.
Fabrication & Mill Analytes — OSHA vs ACGIH Limits
For several fabrication metals the OSHA limit and the health-based guideline are far apart. Both are shown, because most shops now set internal triggers against the lower number. These are federal limits and apply in every state.
| Hazard | OSHA Limit | ACGIH / NIOSH | Lab Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manganese (welding fume) | 5 mg/m³ ceiling (not a TWA) | ACGIH 0.02 mg/m³ resp. · 0.1 inhalable · NIOSH REL 1 mg/m³ TWA | ICP-AES (NIOSH 7300) |
| Hexavalent chromium | 5 µg/m³ TWA (AL 2.5 µg/m³) | ACGIH 0.2 µg/m³ inhalable (Cr VI, A1) | OSHA ID-215 |
| Respirable crystalline silica | 50 µg/m³ TWA (AL 25 µg/m³) | ACGIH 25 µg/m³ respirable | XRD (NIOSH 7500 / OSHA ID-142) |
| Lead | 50 µg/m³ TWA (AL 30 µg/m³) | ACGIH 50 µg/m³ (A3) | NIOSH 7300 / 7082 |
| Nickel (insoluble) | 1 mg/m³ TWA | ACGIH 0.2 mg/m³ inhalable (A1) | ICP-AES |
| Iron oxide fume | 10 mg/m³ TWA (as Fe) | ACGIH 5 mg/m³ respirable | ICP-AES |
| Carbon monoxide | 50 ppm TWA | NIOSH 35 ppm TWA · 200 ppm ceiling | Direct-reading instrument (field) |
| Metalworking fluid / oil mist | Oil mist 5 mg/m³ TWA · PNOR 15 / 5 mg/m³ | NIOSH 0.4 mg/m³ thoracic (98-102) | Gravimetric (thoracic cyclone) |
| Total & respirable dust (PNOR) | 15 mg/m³ total · 5 mg/m³ respirable | — | Gravimetric (NIOSH 0500 / 0600) |
| Noise | 90 dBA TWA (AL 85 dBA) | NIOSH 85 dBA TWA | Personal dosimetry |
Note the manganese row: OSHA's 5 mg/m³ is a ceiling, not an 8-hour average, and the ACGIH respirable TLV is roughly 250 times lower. Which limit your program is measured against changes the sampling design — tell us before the kit ships.
Turnaround Times & Sample Kits
From kit request to final report — rush options and what ships to your shop.
Program & Kit Support
- Pre-labeled sampling media (MCE, PVC filters, cyclones)
- Thoracic cyclones for metalworking-fluid sampling on request
- Calibrated pump loaner program for qualifying accounts
- Chain of Custody form, pre-filled with your info
- Kits ship to any shop in the U.S. with a prepaid return label
- Courier pickup across the Houston / Gulf Coast area for local clients
- Standing-account setup for recurring and multi-plant monitoring
Who Relies on AGT for Fabrication, Foundry & Mill IH
Steel & Structural Fabricators
Heavy welding and cutting shops needing manganese, hex chrome and metals monitoring.
Machine Shops
Grinding, machining and metalworking operations with metals, silica and coolant-mist exposures.
Foundries & Casting
Molding, pouring and shakeout with respirable silica, metal-fume, CO and heat-stress programs.
Steel Mills & Primary Metals
Blast furnace, BOF, electric arc and hot-rolling operations with CO, iron oxide, refractory silica and heat.
OEM & Manufacturing
Production lines with welding, coating and machining exposure programs.
IH & Safety Consultants
Third-party consultants who need an accredited lab partner with fast, consistent turnaround.
Pipe & Vessel Shops
Pressure vessel, pipe spool and modular fabrication with high welding volume.
Metal Finishing & Plating
Plating, anodizing and finishing lines with acid mist, metals and hex chrome exposures.
Scrap & Recycling Yards
Torch cutting and processing of coated, galvanized and leaded scrap.
Metal Fabrication, Foundry & Welding IH Testing — FAQ
What IH testing do metal fabrication shops need?
Do you serve fabrication shops outside Texas?
Do you test manganese in welding fume?
Do you monitor stainless welding for hexavalent chromium?
How do you sample metalworking fluid mist?
Do you support steel mills and primary metals operations?
How fast is analysis and can you set up a standing account?
Do you test degreasing solvents and other shop exposures?
Which analytes can you rush to 1 day?
Set Up Fabrication, Foundry or Mill Monitoring — Request a Quote
AIHA-LAP accredited · welding fume · manganese · hexavalent chromium · grinding silica · lead · CO · coolant mist · 1-day rush · kits shipped nationwide · standing-account pricing.