Cabin Air Quality Monitoring for Mining and Heavy Equipment

ISO 23875:2021 is the ISO standard for air quality control systems in operator enclosures, the cabs of mining machines. It was written for mining, but its design and test requirements are meant to be universal, for fixed and mobile enclosures alike. It sets performance requirements for the filtration and pressurization system: sustained CO₂ no more than 400 ppm above ambient, respirable particulate at or below 25 µg/m³ at the start and end of its decay test, and sustained pressurization of at least 20 Pa and no more than 200 Pa. It also sets requirements for the enclosure's monitoring devices, including a CO₂ operator notification system.

A monitor installed inside the operator cab of a mining vehicle or heavy machine that measures the cab air continuously (particulate matter, CO₂, cab pressure, and gases such as CO) to show whether filtration and pressurization are keeping outside contaminants out. Aethair PRO does this with its built-in particle sensor and gas and differential-pressure cartridges.

Clause 4.1 of ISO 23875 requires sustained cab CO₂ no more than 400 ppm above ambient (a measure of ventilation), respirable particulate of 25 µg/m³ or less at the start and end of the decay test, with the decay taking 120 seconds at most, and sustained pressurization between 20 Pa and 200 Pa. Gases and vapors outside the cab are outside its scope.

Aethair PRO goes in each cab and streams its readings over 4G LTE to Environet, where the fleet shows on one dashboard, alerts go out when a cab's air or pressure drifts, and Aethair Reports reports each cab to ISO 23875 with its Aethair Cabin template.

Yes. A loaded filter or a failed seal shows up as particulate rising inside the cab or pressurization falling, often before the operator notices anything. Continuous monitoring catches the trend, so maintenance can change the filter or fix the seal before exposure becomes a safety issue.

Mining first, then heavy construction, agriculture, forestry, and rail: anywhere operators work in an enclosed cab surrounded by dust, diesel exhaust, or chemicals.

Poor cab air contributes to fatigue, reduced alertness, and long-term respiratory risk. Continuous monitoring shows when a cab stops protecting its operator, and gives the fleet operator the record to show the enclosure performed.

Respirable dust and crystalline silica (causing silicosis), mine gases including carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and methane, oxygen deficiency in confined workings, plus noise and heat. Surface operations add boundary PM10 affecting neighboring communities. Which apply depends on whether the operation is surface or underground and on the mineral.

Because so much of what is drilled, blasted, and crushed contains crystalline silica, and the fine respirable fraction causes irreversible, progressive lung scarring (silicosis) and lung cancer. It has a strict occupational exposure limit and requires size-selective, crystalline-specific measurement rather than a general dust reading.

By monitoring PM10 at the site boundary in real time, alongside wind speed and direction, so that dust drifting toward neighbors is detected and attributed to on-site activity. This lets the operation apply suppression before a boundary limit is breached and provides evidence to answer complaints.

Combine personal and area respirable-dust and noise monitoring with a mine-gas multi-gas monitor underground, and real-time boundary PM10 with meteorology at the surface. Use the configurator to assemble a dust-and-noise panel and add the gas set, heat stress, or boundary monitoring your operation needs.