What does "personal monitoring" involve?

Personal monitoring specifically pertains to the use of instruments or methods to measure and track an individual's exposure to hazardous substances in the environment they are working in or interacting with. This type of monitoring is crucial for ensuring the safety and health of individuals who may be exposed to toxic or harmful materials and helps in identifying levels of exposure that could pose risks to their health.

By accurately measuring exposure levels, employers can implement necessary changes to work practices or safety protocols. This type of monitoring can also serve as a means for compliance with occupational safety regulations, ensuring that exposure levels remain within safe limits defined by health standards.

The other options pertain to different aspects of safety and monitoring: evaluating personal safety equipment involves checking the functionality and adequacy of gear used to protect workers; assessing workplace safety protocols focuses on the overall safety policies and practices in an environment; and recording hazardous material inventory relates to tracking the quantities and types of hazardous materials present, which is vital for inventory management and compliance but does not directly measure personal exposure.