Ten years ago, there was a growing concern for operator enclosure air quality. OSHA had issued their draft of what became the “silica rule,” and NIOSH had published the “the Dust Control Handbook. However, the general concern for cab air quality issues was low, and there was little communication between the various stakeholder groups. The European agricultural cab standard EN 15695 had been published, the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) was developing a cab standard, and the EU failed to adopt a cab air quality annex into the European machinery directive.
Amid these events, ISEEE's singular focus on operator protection allowed it to address three primary issues that made standardization and stakeholder communication difficult. The key issues addressed by ISEEE were cab air quality education, an in-field real-time cab air quality test procedure, and the quantification of cab air quality.
ISEEE developed education on topics important to operator enclosure air quality, allowing industry stakeholders to learn how engineer controls contribute to acceptable cab air quality. While things are much better today, there was no consensus on basic cab engineering practices. The Advanced Cab Theory Workshop (ACTW) gave the opportunity to collectively work through cab theory using a real cab with the ability to simulate air quality scenarios and develop a shared understanding based on facts.
The ISEEE Advanced Cab Theory Workshop and Online education specific to ISO 23875 implementation remain the best and only courses available to stakeholders seeking to standardize their understanding of cab air quality issues. The workshop is the catalyst for new ideas and getting the various stakeholders together in an environment that fosters constructive interaction and problem-solving. ACTW graduates feel connected to each other and, more importantly, to their role in providing improved operator enclosure air quality.
In 2016, a graduate of the ACTW made a passionate appeal to apply what he had learned in the ACTW. He was given the opportunity on a new cab project. This thread led ISO to ask ISEEE’s President to lead the effort to develop an international standard on operator air quality, ISO 23875:2021 Mining – Air quality control systems for operator enclosures – Performance requirements and test methods.
Check out the ISEEE online course on implementing ISO 23875 with Amendment 1. This course will accelerate your understanding of the standard and provide time-saving templates for the required maintenance manual and performance tests.