Dust Measurement
According to the Occupational Hygiene Measurement, Test and Analysis Laboratories Competence Regulation issued by the Ministry of Social Security, gases, steam and dust in the work environment are among the chemical factors that affect the health of the working environment and employees. Especially dust is a serious danger for employee health. In 2013, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security issued the Dust Fighting Regulation in order to prevent health risks caused by dusting in work environments. While preparing this regulation, it was aimed to combat dust in the work environment, to protect employees from the harmful effects of dust, and to determine the measures to be taken in this way, taking into account occupational health and safety.Employer organizations must carry out a risk assessment study on dust measurements. This obligation must be fulfilled in accordance with the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Risk Assessment Regulation. The following points should be taken into account in the risk assessment studies to be carried out in dust-generating works:
• Type of dust in the working environment
• Possible dangers and harms of this dust in terms of health and safety
• The level, duration and frequency of exposure of workers to dust
• Occupational exposure limit values shown in the annex of the regulation
• Dust measurement results
• Preventive measures to be taken
• Results of previous health surveillance
In general, the size of the dust reaching the lungs by the respiratory tract is smaller than 10 microns. These reach other organs with the blood flow and begin to accumulate because they cannot be eliminated from the body. It is this situation that poses a danger to human health.
There are many different dust measurement methods. Dosimetric dust measurements, ambient air dust measurements, dust measurements in PM 10 environment and precipitated dust measurements are some of these methods. According to the Dust Fighting Regulation, dust measurements should be made at periodic intervals determined according to the results of risk assessment studies. However, these measurements should be repeated when there is a change in the conditions of dust exposure in the working environment. The measurement results must be within the occupational exposure limit values explained in the annex of the regulation. In addition, dust measurements to be made must be done by laboratories with pre-qualification or competence certificates.
