What is the difference between a detector tube and a dosimeter tube?
A. Both detectors tubes and dosimeter tubes contain a color changing material that is specific for the chemical or family of chemicals that it is designed for and will generally have a graduated scale to display the concentration of the vapor. The detector tube is designed to provide an instantaneous reading with the use of a hand or motorized pump which will assist in obtaining an employees acceptable ceiling concentration of a hazardous chemical where the dosimeter tube is primarily used to determine an employees permissible exposure limit (PEL) over an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA). OSHA regulates employee’s exposure to hazardous vapors in tables Z-1 and Z-2 of the 29 CFR 1910.1000. These tables list the maximum 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) of a 40-hour work week and the acceptable exposure ceiling for most chemicals.
