In brief
The obligation to carry out workplace measurements arises not from a list of workplaces but from the risk assessment. Law 6331 Art. 10/4 obliges the employer to have the necessary inspections and measurements carried out; the Regulations on Dust Control and on Chemical Agents explicitly require measurement in workplaces where the relevant hazard is present. The legislation does not give a fixed year for most measurements; frequency is determined by the risk assessment, proximity to the limit value and changes in conditions.
The short answer: are workplace measurements mandatory?
One of the questions employers ask most often is "are workplace measurements mandatory?" The answer depends less on "which workplace" than on "which hazard is present at the workplace". Art. 10/4 of Law No. 6331 on Occupational Health and Safety obliges the employer to ensure that the necessary inspections, measurements, examinations and investigations are carried out with regard to the working environment and workers' health. Which measurement is "necessary" is established by the risk assessment.
Some regulations make this general rule concrete. The Regulation on Dust Control explicitly requires measurement in workplaces where dust is generated, and the Regulation on Chemical Agents in workplaces where hazardous chemicals are used. For noise, measurement is carried out "where necessary". For lighting and thermal comfort, the legislation contains no mandatory measurement provision; the need for measurement again arises from the risk assessment.
The practical consequence is this: no measurement may be needed at all in an office; in the same company's welding shop, however, the risk assessment cannot be completed without noise and welding fume measurements.
What are workplace measurements? Legal basis by parameter
Occupational hygiene measurements are carried out to determine the level of physical and chemical agents to which workers are exposed. The most common parameters and their equivalents in the legislation are:
| Parameter | Legal basis | Wording in the legislation | Frequency provision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dust | Regulation on Dust Control Art. 8 | In workplaces where any kind of dust is generated, the employer is obliged to have measurements carried out | At periodic intervals set by the risk assessment; repeated when exposure conditions change |
| Chemicals | Regulation on Chemical Agents Art. 7 | Hazardous chemicals are measured and analysed regularly | Regularly; repeated when conditions affecting exposure change |
| Noise | Noise Regulation Art. 6 | Exposure is determined by having noise measurements carried out where necessary | No fixed frequency |
| Lighting | Regulation on Workplace Buildings and Annexes Annex 1 | Sufficient natural and artificial lighting; TS EN 12464-1 applies | No mandatory measurement provision |
| Thermal comfort | Regulation on Workplace Buildings and Annexes Annex 1 | Thermal comfort at a level that does not disturb workers; TS EN 27243 may be used | No mandatory measurement provision |
Agents such as vibration, electromagnetic fields and optical radiation are governed by separate regulations and only come into play in workplaces where the relevant source is present.
Which measurement arises in which workplace?
The need for measurement arises more from the process than from the sector. Common pairings we encounter in the industrial structure of Bursa and neighbouring provinces are:
- Machining and press lines: noise; oil mist in areas where cutting fluid is used.
- Welding shops: chemical agents such as welding fume and metal dusts, noise.
- Furniture and woodworking: wood dust and noise; solvent vapour in paint and varnish departments.
- Weaving and spinning businesses: noise and fibre dust.
- Dyeing and finishing: chemical vapours; thermal conditions in hot and humid departments.
- Foundries: silica-containing dust, heat, noise.
- Warehousing and logistics: lighting in areas worked at night; thermal conditions in cold stores.
- Offices: measurement is often not needed; if there are complaints about lighting or thermal comfort, measurements may be carried out.
This list is not a list of obligations but a starting point for the questions to be asked in the risk assessment.
How does the risk assessment determine the need for measurement?
Follow this order when determining the need for measurement:
- Identify the agent. Is there dust, vapour, fume, a noise source or an excessively hot or cold environment in the process? Start with safety data sheets and machine catalogues.
- Identify those exposed. Who works close to this agent, on which shift and for how many hours a day?
- Make a preliminary assessment. Is the source enclosed, is there local exhaust ventilation, how long does the process last? Make a rough estimate from equipment data and observation.
- Assess the uncertainty. If it cannot be reliably shown that exposure is clearly below the limit value, measurement is needed. For dust and hazardous chemicals, this step is not skipped because the regulations separately require measurement.
- Plan the measurement. Write down in advance at which point, on which worker, on which shift and at what production load the measurement will be taken.
- Use the result. Transfer the measurement results into the risk assessment, the action plan and health surveillance.
Measurement results are among the situations requiring the risk assessment to be renewed regardless of its validity period. We explained the method in our article on how to carry out a risk assessment, and the action values for noise in our article on the noise regulation.
How is measurement frequency determined?
The legislation does not give a fixed period such as "once a year" for most measurements. For dust measurements, frequency is set by the risk assessment; for chemicals, the term "regularly" is used; for noise, there is no frequency provision. You therefore set the frequency yourself, with justification, and put it in writing. Criteria to take into account:
| Situation | Effect on frequency |
|---|---|
| Result clearly below the limit value and process stable | A longer interval can be justified |
| Result close to the limit value | Interval shortened, measures strengthened |
| Limit value exceeded | Measures taken, measurement repeated after the measures |
| New machine, new chemical, new line or change of layout | Re-measurement after the change |
| Shift or production pace increased | Reassessment because exposure time has changed |
| Finding in health surveillance (e.g. hearing loss, respiratory complaints) | Measurement repeated, source investigated |
| Worker complaint or inspection finding | Measurement plan reviewed |
Who carries out the measurement, and how is the result used?
Workplace measurements are carried out by laboratories holding a competence or preliminary competence certificate from the General Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety. The result of a laboratory without a certificate is invalid. For certain parameters, the laboratory must also hold TS EN ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation from TÜRKAK (the Turkish Accreditation Agency). The laboratory notifies ISG-KATİP (the Ministry's online OHS registration system) of the measurement at least 3 days in advance. When obtaining quotes, check that the laboratory's certificate covers the parameter to be measured.
Bursa Sistemer OSGB does not have its own laboratory. We determine the need for measurement through the risk assessment, plan measurements with authorised laboratories and enter the results into the risk assessment, the action plan and the workplace physician's health surveillance programme. We carry out this process as part of our risk assessment service.
Keeping the results is also important. Art. 14 of the Regulation on Dust Control requires dust measurement results to be kept for 15 years from the date the worker leaves, unless otherwise specified in the relevant legislation. The Noise Regulation also provides for assessment and measurement results to be kept in a suitable form for presentation during inspections. For details of the types of measurement, see our articles on workplace noise measurement, the Regulation on Dust Control and the Regulation on Chemical Agents.
Common mistakes when planning measurements
It is common for a measurement report to be on file yet be of no use. The most common mistakes are:
- The measurement was taken on a low-production day. A result taken while the line is running at half capacity does not show exposure at full capacity. Choose the measurement day according to the production plan.
- The wrong point or the wrong worker was chosen. If the job and worker with the highest exposure have been skipped, the result is optimistic.
- The night shift was forgotten. If the distribution of work differs between shifts, plan measurements that represent each shift.
- A parameter is missing. In a welding shop only noise was measured, not welding fume; in a dye house only dust was measured and solvent vapour was skipped.
- The result was not entered into the risk assessment. The report sits on file, but the action plan and health surveillance do not change.
- No repeat after a change. The old report was treated as valid even though a new machine or a new chemical was added.
To avoid these mistakes, write a short measurement plan before the measurement: which parameter, at which point, on which worker, on which shift and at what production load. Review this plan together with the laboratory.
The consequences of not having measurements carried out
The 2026 basic administrative fine for not having the necessary inspections, measurements, examinations and investigations carried out is 33,326 TL (Law 6331 Art. 10/4). Under Art. 26/3, this amount is increased according to the number of workers and the hazard class; for example, in a workplace in the hazardous class with 50 or more workers, it becomes 66,652 TL with a 100% increase. You can calculate your own situation with the OHS administrative fines tool.
The fine is not the only consequence. An exposure that has not been measured means that the risk assessment is incomplete; it also makes it unclear which tests the physician should request in health surveillance, and how often. We explained how test frequency is determined in our article on periodic examinations and tests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are workplace measurements mandatory in every workplace?
No. Measurement is mandatory when the risk assessment requires it. However, the Regulation on Dust Control explicitly requires measurement in workplaces where dust is generated, and the Regulation on Chemical Agents in workplaces where hazardous chemicals are used.
How many years apart are workplace measurements carried out?
The legislation does not give a fixed period for most measurements. Frequency is set by the risk assessment; if the result is close to the limit value the interval is shortened, and when the process, equipment or chemical changes the measurement is repeated.
Is lighting measurement mandatory in an office?
The Regulation on Workplace Buildings and Annexes requires sufficient lighting and applies the TS EN 12464-1 standard, but does not impose an obligation of periodic measurement. If there are complaints of eye strain or areas where precision work is done, measurement is useful for the risk assessment.
Can an OSGB carry out the measurement?
Only laboratories holding a competence or preliminary competence certificate can carry out measurements. The OSGB determines the need for measurement, coordinates planning with the laboratory and enters the results into the risk assessment.
A risk assessment that identifies and scores hazards on site, links each measure to an owner and a date, and has a clear renewal schedule.
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.