Hazardous substances at the workplace can mean serious health risks for the employees concerned. To protect them, the employer is required to find out all of the properties of the materials used relevant for the safety of employees and the associated risks at work in order to be able to take appropriate protective action.
To determine the risk situation for employees, investigations of the concentrations of hazardous substances in the air at workplaces are necessary. The main areas of application for measurements of hazardous substances include measurements of welding smoke in bodywork manufacture, coolant lubricants in metal processing, solvent measurements in the paint shop as well as diesel engine emissions in halls where vehicles are driven. The results of measurements of hazardous substances are the basis for the specification of threshold values as well as the cause of the supervisory authorities to order safety technical measures. In view of the range of decisions of this kind, we make high demands of the reliability of the results of these investigations.
The Safety Chemistry Measuring Centre of Volkswagen AG has been accredited according to ISO 17025 since 1999 and thus bears the quality seal to assess the workplace-related situation of hazardous substances in the air. The expertise and many years of experience of biologists, chemists, engineers and technicians at the Measuring Centre in the field of measuring hazardous substance as well as a comprehensive quality management system guarantee the accommodation of the most stringent quality assurance criteria, from acceptance of the order and taking samples, analyses and measurements as well as drawing up a comprehensive, detailed documentation right up to advice in matters of dealing with hazardous substances and portraying practicable solutions to problems. The regular reaccreditation guarantees that the processes and sequences meet international standards and that the results of internal and external measurements are recognised by the authorities. Several requirements must be met:
- mastering the regulations on hazardous substances and the necessary expertise by sample-taking and testing personnel,
- the availability of the necessary sampling and analysis facilities and
- conducting quality assurance measures according to the Quality Management Manual
A dynamic process ensures that the quality of the Measuring Centre continuously adapts to the current technical requirements and opportunities and the statutory requirements. Only by means of constant further training of employees and further development of the state of the art is sustainable species protection in the company possible.
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