AIR
How much do I breathe?
Air Intake Factors
The first factor in calculating the PEL is air. How much air does a person breathe? The answer depends on a number of factors.
• Height
• Weight
• Fitness Level
• Activity
For the construction industry we’re going to make an assumption that the average adult male employee works at a moderate activity level. Looking at this chart, we’ll use 35 liters per minute, an activity level right between a brisk walk and mowing the lawn.
1 min = 35 liters
The average adult male working at a moderate activity level inhales 16.8 cubic meters of air over the course of an 8-hour work day.
The Math
As a visual reference, Joel is standing in the middle of a 16.8-meter cube that represents the quantity of air inhaled in during an 8 hour workday.