When thermal comfort is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is the temperature. Temperature is the most important factor in providing thermal comfort is not the only main factor. Temperature must be considered in conjunction with other environmental and personal factors. In other words, both environmental factors and personal factors affect thermal comfort. These factors are independent of each other, but when combined, they determine the thermal comfort of the worker. Environmental factors affecting thermal comfort are radiant heat, air velocity, and humidity along with air temperature. Personal factors are the person's clothing and metabolic temperature. Thermal comfort can then be defined as follows: the majority of people working in a workplace are comfortable in maintaining their physical and mental activities in terms of climatic conditions such as temperature, airflow and humidity.
If thermal comfort is not provided in the working environments, the productivity of the employees decreases and occupational accidents increase. Let us now look at the factors that affect thermal comfort in a short description.
- Air temperature is the temperature of the air surrounding the employees' body. This means that the working environment is hot or cold.
- Radiant heat is heat emitted from a hot object. If there is a heat source in the working environment, radiant heat is available. This heat affects workers' body more than the temperature of the air. Solar, fire, cooker, steam machines, dryers, machines, computers are radiant heat sources.
- Air velocity refers to air moving in the working environment. If the air velocity is cooler than the temperature of the working environment, the cooler running is more cool. Air velocity is an important factor for thermal comfort. A suitable air velocity flow must be provided in working environments.
- Moisture is water vapor that is present in the air in large amounts. The moisture content between 40 and 70 in the air does not affect thermal comfort much. However, the increase in humidity above this rate arouses discomfort in employees.
What is the Scope of Thermal Comfort Measurement?
These four basic factors (air temperature, radiant heat, air velocity and humidity) are considered in the determination of thermal comfort and thermal comfort measurements in the working environment are measured by measuring these four basic parameters.
There are other factors that influence thermal comfort. The nature of the work (ie the job being heavy or light), the physical and mental structure of the employee (ie fat, weak, calm, excited or lively thesis), the health status of the employee (ie being sick or healthy), the type of clothing of the employee depending on whether they are thick or thinly dressed) or the nutritional status of the employee (whether he or she is fed appropriately or improperly to the work performed) affects the individual thermal comfort.
According to the Regulation on Health and Safety in the Use of Work Equipment issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security in 2013, employers must ensure that the equipment to be used by the employees is suitable for the work performed and does not harm the health and safety of the employees. Therefore, the environments and equipment used by the employees must be tested and inspected at regular intervals and in accordance with certain methods.
Measurements made within this framework include thermal comfort measurements. Thermal comfort measurements and evaluations in work environments are made according to TS EN 27243 standard. The full name of this standard is as follows: TS EN 27243 Hot environments - Estimation of heat pressure on the worker according to the Wbgt (wet - chamber temperature) index.
our organization TÜRCERT Technical Control and Certification Inc.provides measurement services in accordance with national and international standards and with an impartial approach. In addition, during these activities, TS EN ISO / IEC 17020 General Criteria for the Operation of Various Types of Inspection Organizations complies with the principles. If you need more detailed information about thermal comfort measurement, you can contact our employees.