Every employer has a basic duty to provide a safe and comfortable workplace environment for their employees. For this reason, measuring workplace environmental conditions is essential for verifying that they are suitable and comply with the required safety criteria. This ensures that employee safety is properly managed, that legal compliance is maintained and that employees are able to thrive in terms of productivity and operational efficiency.
Regardless of the nature of the operations in a workplace, the key environmental conditions which require monitoring are temperature, light and noise. In more specific environments, such as industrial operations, there may also be a need to measure for airborne gases or airborne dusts, but temperature, light and noise are the general environmental parameters which apply to most workplaces.
An anemometer is a handheld instrument used to measure airflow, and in terms of environmental monitoring, is usually used to verify the suitable operation of ventilation units. In extreme cases it can also be used to measure wind speed, if an employee is exposed to this. A common type of anemometer is a ‘vein anemometer’, which features a series of veins mounted like a fan at the top of the instrument. These veins rotate according to the airflow being measured, and the force required to move them is converted into a usable reading, which would be able to confirm that an HVAC system is providing suitable fresh air in a given workplace environment.
A K-Type thermometer uses a sensor to measure ambient temperatures and allows the employer to continuously monitor environmental temperatures in the workplace. Meanwhile, an infrared temperature gun enables individual employees to have their body temperature monitored. This can be used to verify whether an individual employee is able to continue working in an environment, even if the environmental monitoring has confirmed the workplace is safe to operate in.
These are used to verify that light conditions in a workplace are safe to work in. They display units of illuminance on a digital screen, which can verify whether an employee is working in conditions that are too dark or too light, bearing in mind these extreme conditions can have an effect on focus, memory, fatigue and physical and mental health.
A digital sound level meter uses a microphone to capture sound waves and converts them into digital signals which provide a reading on safe noise levels. The reading has been processed to mimic how the human ear receives noise. In most workplace environments the employee is only exposed to general conversation or some distant equipment noise, but in some extreme cases employees could be exposed to extreme or repeated noise for prolonged periods and with various peak levels. A sound meter can measure whether peak decibel levels are exceeded and can help manage how long safe exposure should be allowed for. Noise hazards can seriously impact on an employee’s hearing in the long term, but can also lead to accidents in the workplace, as well as impacting on focus and productivity.
Environmental test equipment from Test Instrument Solutions
So environmental testing is essential for safeguarding the health and safety of all employees, regardless of the exposure levels they face. It maintains legal compliance with regulatory bodies as well as with the employer’s basic duty and their internal safety standards. This kind of monitoring also improves productivity by reducing factors which can contribute to sickness, illness, fatigue and loss of focus. On a broader level, environmental monitoring can also help to identify problems with equipment, such as HVAC systems or machinery making excessive noises, light failures or machinery or equipment producing excessive temperatures.
You can browse our range of environmental test equipment at Test Instrument Solutions.
Product Demonstration Video
Below you can see a product demonstration video of the TIS 1310 LED & Standard LUX Meter:
Please note that this section is for information purposes only. Anyone using equipment referred to in this section must be suitably qualified and/or experienced within the respective field. If in doubt before use, please consult a qualified electrician or engineer & thoroughly read all instruction booklets.