In brief
Organic solvents in thinners, paints, varnishes and adhesives enter the body through inhalation and through the skin. In the short term they cause headache, dizziness and a feeling of drunkenness; exposure lasting years can leave permanent effects on the nervous system, hearing and blood. The order of protection is switching to products containing less solvent, extracting vapour at source and verifying the result by measurement. The workplace physician also plans examinations and, where necessary, biological monitoring according to exposure.
What is solvent exposure, and where does it come from in furniture making?
Solvent exposure means breathing in the vapour of organic solvents in paints, varnishes, thinners and adhesives, or skin contact with these substances. In furniture manufacturing (NACE 31.00.01, hazardous class), this exposure is concentrated at several points:
- Paint and varnish preparation: Thinning with thinner, mixing, leaving containers open.
- Spraying: In the spray booth or touch-ups done outside the booth.
- Drying area: Painted parts continue to give off vapour for hours.
- Gluing: Applying contact adhesives to large surfaces with a brush or gun; the adhesive vapour stays at the worker's face level until the surface dries. Some contact adhesives contain solvents such as toluene or hexane; check the contents in section 3 of the product's safety data sheet.
- Cleaning: Washing guns and brushes with thinner, wiping hands with thinner.
Solvents enter the body by two routes: inhalation and the skin. The "skin" notation next to substances such as toluene and xylene in Annex 1 of the Regulation on Health and Safety Measures for Work with Chemical Agents shows that these substances are also absorbed through the skin. For general chemical obligations, see our article on the chemical agents regulation. In İnegöl, where furniture production is prominent in Bursa, businesses in İnegöl OIZ (organised industrial zone) and the İnegöl Furniture and Woodworking Specialised OIZ manage these risks together. In a workshop where painting, gluing and assembly take place under the same roof, exposure is not limited to the painter; the worker at the next station breathes the same air.
Health effects of thinner vapour: short and long term
| Effect | Symptoms | Related substances and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Central nervous system depression (short term) | Headache, dizziness, feeling of drunkenness, drowsiness, nausea; loss of consciousness at high levels | Most organic solvents |
| Eye and respiratory irritation | Burning eyes, dry throat, cough | Ketones, acetates |
| Skin effects | Dryness, cracking, redness, dermatitis | Solvents dissolving skin oils; cleaning hands with thinner |
| Chronic nervous system effects (long term) | Forgetfulness, difficulty with attention and concentration, fatigue, mood changes | Mixed solvent exposure lasting years |
| Peripheral nerve damage | Numbness, tingling and weakness in the feet and hands | n-Hexane |
| Hearing | May increase hearing loss together with noise | Toluene, styrene |
| Blood and bone marrow | Reduction in blood cells; leukaemia risk | Benzene |
Short-term effects also have a safety dimension: a worker experiencing dizziness may fall from a ladder or lose concentration at a cutting machine. Separate and stricter rules apply to carcinogenic solvents such as benzene; see carcinogens and mutagens. For skin effects, see our article on occupational dermatitis.
Organic solvent poisoning: when symptoms appear
If a worker complains of dizziness, light-headedness or nausea while working, this is a warning that exposure is high at that moment. When you suspect organic solvent poisoning:
- Take the worker out into fresh air immediately and stop the work. If they are in an enclosed, confined area, remember that the person going in to rescue them may also be affected.
- Check consciousness and breathing. If consciousness is impaired or there is difficulty breathing, call 112 and give first aid. Give the medical team the first aid information in section 4 of the product's safety data sheet.
- Remove contaminated clothing, and wash skin contaminated with solvent with plenty of soap and water.
- Record the event and report it to the workplace physician. Even if there is no injury, this is a near miss.
- Investigate the cause: Was the extraction working, was a container left open, was the work done outside the booth? Have measurements taken if necessary.
"Solvent dizziness" is often treated as normal on site: people say "the painter gets a bit dizzy". In fact, it is one of the clearest signs that the measures are not enough.
Measures: substitution, ventilation and work organisation
The chemical agents regulation sets an order for measures; the first step is substitution (Art. 7). In a furniture workshop, this order is applied as follows:
- Substitution. Water-based paints and varnishes, low-solvent or water-based adhesives and hot-melt adhesives for edge banding are considered. Replacing an adhesive containing n-hexane with a less harmful alternative directly reduces the risk of nerve damage. Also review the safety data sheet of the new product; substitution must not introduce a new hazard.
- Keeping containers closed. Containers are kept closed when not in use; only the amount needed for the day is kept at the workstation; solvent-soaked rags are put in lidded, self-closing waste bins.
- Extraction at source. Spraying is done only in a booth with working extraction; downdraught or side-draught extraction is installed at the gluing table; gun cleaning is done in an enclosed washing unit. For booth layout, see our article on spray booth and painter risks.
- General ventilation. Necessary for the drying area and store, but it does not replace extraction at source. Annex 1 of the Workplace Buildings and Annexes Regulation requires mechanical ventilation separate from general ventilation to remove toxic or irritating gases, vapours and fumes from the environment, and the maintenance and filter changes of these systems to be carried out once a year by authorised persons (items 16–17). Since most solvent vapours are heavier than air, a low position for extraction points is also important.
- Work organisation. The number of workers exposed and the duration are kept to a minimum; eating, drinking and smoking are prohibited in the work area.
- PPE. Where collective measures are not enough, a mask with a type A filter is used for organic vapours, and a combined A and P filter for paint mist during spraying; for selection, see our article on gas mask filters. Not every glove material is resistant to every solvent; choose the material and breakthrough time according to section 8 of the safety data sheet.
Solvent vapours also create a fire and explosion risk; ignition sources, static electricity and electrical equipment should also be assessed. Details are in our articles on explosive atmospheres and the ATEX document and fire in İnegöl furniture workshops.
Measurement: comparing exposure with the limit value
Measurement shows whether the measures are adequate. Some examples commonly found in furniture making from the occupational exposure limit values in Annex 1 of the chemical agents regulation:
| Substance | 8-hour limit value | Short-term (15 min) limit value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toluene | 192 mg/m³ (50 ppm) | 384 mg/m³ (100 ppm) | Skin |
| Xylene (mixed isomers) | 221 mg/m³ (50 ppm) | 442 mg/m³ (100 ppm) | Skin |
| n-Hexane | 72 mg/m³ (20 ppm) | Not set | |
| Acetone | 1,210 mg/m³ (500 ppm) | Not set |
Thinners are often mixtures. If there is more than one solvent affecting the same organ system, in practice the ratio of each substance's measured value to its own limit value is added up and the total is expected not to exceed 1. Measurement should be taken from the worker's breathing zone under real working conditions; a measurement taken on a day with little spraying does not reflect reality.
We plan measurement with authorised laboratories and enter the results into the risk assessment. The laboratory must hold a competence certificate from the Ministry's General Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety and must notify the measurement on ISG-KATİP (the Ministry's online OHS registration system) at least 3 days in advance. We explain when measurement is mandatory in our article on workplaces where exposure measurement is mandatory.
The workplace physician's monitoring approach
Art. 12 of the chemical agents regulation requires workers identified in the risk assessment as being at risk to their health to be placed under appropriate health surveillance, and personal health and exposure records to be kept. Since furniture manufacturing (31.00.01) is in the hazardous class, periodic examinations are carried out at least every 3 years; the physician may shorten this interval according to exposure.
The physician's monitoring approach generally includes the following:
- History: Symptoms such as headache, dizziness, forgetfulness, sleep problems and numbness in the hands and feet are asked about systematically.
- Examination: Neurological examination and skin examination.
- Laboratory: Blood count, liver and kidney function tests where the physician deems it necessary.
- Hearing: A hearing test if there is also noise together with solvents such as toluene.
- Biological monitoring: A urine or blood sample at the end of the shift to see how much of the exposure reaches the body. For example, methylhippuric acid in urine can be checked for xylene, and 2,5-hexanedione in urine for n-hexane.
These tests do not have a fixed frequency in the legislation; the physician decides which ones are carried out and how often according to exposure and examination findings. We plan the tests with authorised laboratories and healthcare providers. If a finding emerges in surveillance, the risk assessment is reviewed and the measures are renewed. For additional restrictions on solvent exposure for pregnant and breastfeeding workers, see our article on pregnant and breastfeeding workers.
In our health surveillance service, we set up the examination and test plan for workers exposed to solvents according to measurement results, and in our risk assessment service we assess substitution and extraction measures together with these findings. Other risks in the sector are on our furniture page, and our service model in İnegöl is on our İnegöl OSGB page.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you cannot smell thinner, does that mean there is no exposure?
No. There is no reliable relationship between the odour threshold and health risk, and the sense of smell of a person who is continuously exposed becomes accustomed to it. Only measurement shows the level of exposure.
What should a worker who feels dizzy from solvents do?
They should stop work immediately, go out into fresh air and report it to their supervisor. If the symptoms do not pass or consciousness is impaired, medical help is called. The event should be recorded and it should be investigated why the extraction, containers and working method were not enough.
If we switch to water-based paint, is a mask no longer needed?
Water-based products significantly reduce solvent exposure but may not eliminate it completely; spraying also creates paint mist. Whether a mask is needed is decided according to measurement results and the risk assessment.
What tests are done for solvent exposure?
There is no fixed list of tests in the legislation. The workplace physician plans the history and neurological examination according to exposure and, where necessary, blood count, liver and kidney tests, a hearing test and biological monitoring in urine or blood.
An exposure-based test plan, pre-employment and periodic examinations, confidential health files and an examination schedule tracked per person.
Bursa SİSTEMER OSGB Technical Team — written from the field experience of our OHS specialists and workplace physicians. Legal information is valid as of the publication/update date; contact us for an assessment specific to your business.