Client Description: Personal Care Products Manufacturing Facility
At the time of the surveys, Turkey did not have its own permissible exposure limits (PELs) for chemical or noise exposures in the workplace. Turkey followed the occupational health and safety regulations or directives established by the European Union (EU). However, the EU only established exposure limits for a limited number of chemicals. Consequently, the subject facility referenced the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) PELs or the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Values (TLVs), whichever was more stringent for the chemicals included in the industrial hygiene survey. HygieneTech provided noise exposure results using dosimeter settings to meet the ACGIH TLV requirements, as well as results meeting the EU instrument settings for comparison to the EU Upper Exposure Action Value and Lower Exposure Action Value. Noise mapping was performed in several manufacturing areas to determine high noise areas.
Direct-reading hood-face velocities were measured at the hood openings of select local exhaust ventilation (LEV) systems using an Alnor CompuFlow Model 8570 anemometer. For some LEV systems, it was difficult to measure the hood-face velocities and therefore the duct velocities were measured. The hood-face velocities were subsequently calculated according to the average duct velocities and the duct and hood dimensions. Velocity measurements were made using a grid pattern across the face of each hood or duct to effectively calculate an average hood-face or duct velocity in feet per minute (ft/min).
Direct-reading measurements for carbon dioxide, relative humidity, and temperature were recorded using an EXTECH ® CO 2 meter (Model CO250) at various office areas throughout the facility. The oxygen measurements at these office locations were recorded using a RAE Systems, Inc. QRAE four-gas meter.
Heat stress readings were recorded using a Metrosonics Model HS360 heat stress monitor wet bulb-globe temperature (WBGT) device that incorporates readings from a wet bulb, dry bulb, and a globe thermometer. WBGT data were recorded in degrees Celsius (°C) and were evaluated using the ACGIH Screening Criteria for Heat Stress Exposure guidelines.
Illumination levels were recorded using a direct-reading MANNIX DLAF-8000 environmental meter . Note that the measurements were either performed at midnight or in the afternoon without natural light. Illumination levels were recorded in lux (lumen per square meter) units, and these results were then converted to footcandles (lumen per square foot) in order to compare with the OSHA regulations for illumination found in Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1926.56 (29 CFR, 1926.56) . This specific OSHA regulation, which focuses on the construction industry, can be used as a guideline for general industry. Note that Turkey did not have standards regulating illumination levels at the time of this survey. With a few exceptions, the illumination in the majority of the work areas met the OSHA minimum illumination intensities. HygieneTech recommended that additional lighting should be utilized in the areas in which illumination results were below the OSHA minimum illumination intensities, given that poor lighting can increase the risk of employee accidents and is a general safety concern.
