The working environment is measured because the law requires it, but also because without numbers there is no credible risk assessment. Chemical, biological and physical hazards, microclimate and illuminance are tested. The first measurement is carried out within one year of operations starting, and re-testing is mandatory whenever the process or the building changes.
What exactly is measured in the working environment
The obligation is set directly in the Occupational Safety and Health Act: in the working and ancillary premises where technological processes take place, the employer must test for chemical, biological and physical hazards, microclimate and illuminance (Article 34 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Official Gazette of RM no. 92/2007 as subsequently amended, most recently in Official Gazette of RNM no. 74/2025).
Microclimate
Microclimate consists of three quantities measured together: air temperature, relative humidity and air velocity. Together they determine whether the body can maintain its heat balance. Too hot and humid means fatigue, loss of concentration and a higher likelihood of error; too cold with draughts means joint pain and chills.
The Act has one particularity here that many companies miss: microclimate testing must be carried out in both the summer and the winter period, during the work process (Article 34(2)). A single measurement in April is not enough.
Illuminance
Illuminance is measured in lux at the workstation itself — where the task is performed, not in the middle of the room. Low illuminance is a direct cause of eye strain, but also of injuries, because the worker does not see the hazard in time. For precision operations, quality control and screen work, the difference between adequate and inadequate lighting is measured in tens of percent of productivity.
Noise
For noise the values are clearly set by a dedicated regulation (Rulebook on occupational safety and health for employees exposed to noise risk, Official Gazette of RM no. 21/2008, Article 4):
- lower action value: daily exposure level of 80 dB — the employer must make hearing protectors available to employees;
- upper action value: 85 dB — wearing protectors becomes mandatory, the workplaces are marked, and the employer prepares and implements a programme of technical and organisational measures to reduce noise;
- exposure limit value: 87 dB — this value must not be exceeded, and in calculating it the attenuation provided by the protectors is taken into account.
Article 5 of the same rulebook requires the measurement to be performed by authorised legal or natural persons, at appropriate intervals, under the regulations on periodic inspections and testing.
Vibration
What is measured is vibration transmitted through the hands from power tools (drills, grinders, hammers) and whole-body vibration for drivers of forklifts, cranes and construction machinery. Long-term exposure leads to permanent damage to the blood vessels and nerves of the hands and to damage to the spine.
Chemical hazards and dust
This covers the gases, vapours, mists, fumes and dust that arise or are generated during the technological process. The purpose of measurement is to establish whether the concentration stays within the binding occupational exposure limit values set out in Annex 1 to the Rulebook on minimum occupational safety and health requirements for employees exposed to risks from chemical agents (Official Gazette of RM no. 46/2010, Article 4(1)). For dust it additionally matters whether it is fibrogenic dust (containing free SiO₂), since that carries a risk of silicosis.
How often the measurements are repeated
This is the question that causes the most confusion on the market, so it is worth answering precisely.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act sets one express deadline and one series of events: testing must be carried out within one year of the day operations commence, or after every change to the technological process, reconstruction of the building, reconstruction of the ventilation, heating and air-conditioning system, or modification of the process equipment (Article 35).
What the Act does not prescribe is a fixed recurring cycle. The three-year interval frequently quoted in practice derives from the Rulebook on periodic testing of work tools and devices, chemical and biological hazards and microclimate (Official Gazette of the SFRY no. 26/1967). That rulebook has been repealed by Article 12 of the Rulebook on minimum occupational safety and health requirements for employees exposed to risks from chemical agents (Official Gazette of RM no. 46/2010). Since then Macedonian legislation contains no regulation setting a numerical recurring interval for workplace environment measurements.
That does not mean measurement is carried out only once. The Rulebook on chemical agents requires measurements to be taken "regularly and when conditions change" (Article 7(4)), and the Rulebook on noise "at appropriate intervals" (Article 5(5)). In the absence of a prescribed number of years, the interval is determined from the risk assessment, the nature of the exposure and professional practice. Where exposure is close to the limit values the interval is shorter; for stable processes with low exposure it is longer.
| Parameter | What the law prescribes | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Microclimate (temperature, humidity, air velocity) | First measurement within one year of commencing operations; mandatory in both the summer and the winter period; re-measurement after every change | OSH Act Articles 34 and 35 |
| Chemical hazards (gases, vapours, mists, fumes) | First measurement within one year; thereafter regularly and when exposure conditions change | OSH Act Articles 34 and 35; Rulebook 46/2010 Articles 4 and 7 |
| Dust | First measurement within one year; thereafter regularly and when conditions change | OSH Act Articles 34 and 35; Rulebook 46/2010 Articles 4 and 7 |
| Noise | First measurement within one year; thereafter at appropriate intervals set from the risk assessment | OSH Act Articles 34 and 35; Rulebook 21/2008 Articles 3, 4 and 5 |
| Vibration | First measurement within one year; thereafter per the risk assessment | OSH Act Articles 34 and 35 |
| Biological hazards | First measurement within one year; thereafter per the risk assessment | OSH Act Articles 34 and 35 |
| Illuminance | First measurement within one year of commencing operations and after every change; in practice measured in the same cycle as the other parameters | OSH Act Articles 34 and 35 |
| All parameters — on change | Immediately, without waiting for the recurring interval | OSH Act Article 35 |
When measurements must be repeated sooner
Even where the report is relatively recent, the Act requires new testing after every change to the technological process, reconstruction of the building, reconstruction of the ventilation, heating and air-conditioning system, or modification of the process equipment (Article 35).
In practice that means a new compressor, a line moved to another hall, newly installed ventilation or a switch to a different solvent invalidates the existing report for that part of the plant. This is also the most common reason an inspector finds non-compliance at a company that has otherwise paid for its measurements diligently.
What the measurement report is for
The report serves two functions, and both matter equally.
First — evidence before the inspector. The employer must keep records of the testing performed on physical, chemical and biological hazards and on microclimate in the working and ancillary premises, and those records also contain all technical documents, reports, findings and opinions (Article 37 of the OSH Act). When the state labour inspector asks for evidence, that is not an oral statement — it is a report with a date, method, instruments used and measured values by workplace.
Second — an input to the risk assessment. A workplace risk assessment cannot credibly evaluate exposure to noise, dust or heat load without measured values. The measured data further determines the content and frequency of health examinations: for example, at noise exposure equal to or above 85 dB(A) the first periodic examination is carried out after 12 months and then every 18 months; at exposure equal to or above 90 dB(A) — after 6 months and then every 12 months (Decree on the type, manner, scope and price list of employee health examinations, Official Gazette of RM no. 60/2013, Annex 5).
Who may carry out the measurements
Periodic measurement of chemical, physical and biological hazards and microclimate conditions in the working environment may be performed only by a legal or natural person holding a licence issued by the competent ministry (Article 45 of the OSH Act). Following the April 2025 amendments, competence for issuing these licences rests with the Ministry of Economy and Labour (Official Gazette of RNM no. 74/2025).
The instruments are the other half of the equation. A result obtained with an unverified instrument has no evidential value. Opusproekt works with instruments intended precisely for these parameters: TESTO 605, 512 and 425 for microclimate, TESTO 545 for illuminance, a Class 1 Cirrus CR:831C sound level meter for noise, Brüel & Kjær and Schenck analysers for vibration, TESTO 350 XL and 300 XL gas analysers and Gray Wolf IQ-410 and TG-501/502 units for air quality. Noise, illuminance and microclimate testing falls within the scope of our accreditation IT-127 to MKS EN ISO/IEC 17020:2012, Type A. The full list is available on the equipment page.
What you risk without measurements
The offence provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act are clear here:
- If testing has not been carried out at all on chemical, biological and physical hazards, microclimate and illuminance (Article 34), the fine is EUR 500 to 1,000 in denar equivalent for a micro and small employer that is a legal entity, EUR 1,000 to 2,000 for a medium one and EUR 3,000 to 4,000 for a large one. For the responsible person within the legal entity the fine is EUR 300, 400 or 500 depending on the employer's size (Article 58).
- If testing has not been carried out within the deadline of one year from commencing operations, or after a change to the process or reconstruction, the fine is EUR 300 to 400 for a micro and small employer, EUR 600 to 800 for a medium one and EUR 800 to 1,000 for a large one (Article 57).
- If the offender pays the fine within eight days of the offence payment order being issued, half the prescribed amount is payable (Article 54).
- If the same offence is repeated within one year, the inspector prohibits work in the work premises by decision for 15 days (Article 54(3)).
Besides the fine, the inspector may prohibit work entirely or on part of the equipment, plant or technological process where an immediate danger is established (Article 49).
How we can help
We carry out workplace environment measurements with our own instruments and issue a report with findings and opinion for each measuring point. Where values exceed the limits, we propose technical and organisational measures in priority order. Write to us via Request a quote with the number of workplaces and the parameters you need measured.
This article is informational and does not replace professional advice. Regulations change — last updated: August 2026.
This article is informational and does not replace professional advice.
