GESTIS - Analytical methods

Open database

Content

The Analytical Methods for Chemical Agents at Workplaces (AMCAW) database contains suitable validated measurement procedures for the measurement of hazardous substances in the air at workplaces. Important substances are listed depending on their relevance for occupational safety and health and the methods associated with these substances are assessed regarding their suitability and quality based on European standards. The database is only available in English.

Originally, AMCAW was developed as part of the project BC/CEN/ENTR/000/2002-16 "Analytical methods for chemical agents" and served the purpose of establishing the required list of suitable analytical methods for the analysis of chemical agents in the air at workplaces as set out in Article 3 (10) of the Chemical Agents Directive 98/24/EG. The database provides access to detailed method descriptions from different EU Member States, the United Kingdom, the USA and Canada and provides direct links to the original sources. The criteria for the assessment of the measurement procedures are defined by the standards EN 482, ISO 20581, ISO 23320, EN/ISO 22065, EN/ISO 21832 and ISO 23861.

The project was predominantly funded by the European Commission and the EFTA. The organisation of the project was supported by the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) as the secretariat of CEN TC 137.

Experts from ten European institutes were involved in the creation of the database:

• The Austrian Workers' Compensation Board (AUVA), Austria
• ENI Corporate, Italy
• Eurofins Danmark A/S, Denmark
• Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL), United Kingdom
• Institute for Research on Hazardous Substances (Institut für Gefahrstoff-Forschung) of the German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Raw Materials and Chemical Industry (IGF), located at Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany
• French National Research and Safety Institute (Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité) (INRS), France
• Spanish National Institute for Safety and Health at Work (Instituto Nacional de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo) (INSHT), Spain
• Institute for Applied Environmental Research, Air Pollution Laboratory (ITM), Sweden
• Hungarian Institute of Occupational Health (Országos Munkahigiénés és Foglalkozás-egészségügyi Intézet) (OMFI), Hungary

The database was fundamentally overhauled and updated by the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA). Up to this point, data for 126 substances has been compiled.

Use of the database and liability

The database may be used for purposes relating to occupational safety and health or to obtain information about analytical methods for chemical agents. Any commercial use or distribution of the data, including transferring part of or all the data to another system, is not permitted. The data in the database is carefully compiled and updated. Nevertheless, we cannot accept any liability, irrespective of legal grounds.

The application does not require a specific browser; it has been tested using Chrome (for versions 102.0 and above) and Firefox (101.0 and above).

For the current version, the use of a desktop browser is recommended. On mobile devices there may be problems with the display.

Support in the event of problems accessing the database