IAQ assessment for Leonidas Brussels

Leonidas Brussels

Factory environments present an air quality challenge that office buildings rarely do - active processes, chemical inputs, and purpose-built spaces where the gap between what the ventilation system is supposed to handle and what it actually handles can be significant. When Securex mandated Airscan to assess indoor air quality conditions in the technical facilities of Leonidas' Brussels chocolate factory, the objective was to build a clear picture of what workers in those spaces were being exposed to and what needed to change. The assessment went in without assumptions, measured across the parameters most relevant to the environment, and came out with specific findings and a practical improvement plan.

The Brief

Securex needed an independent, measurement-based assessment of indoor air quality conditions across the technical areas of the Leonidas factory, with findings used to evaluate working conditions and potential health impacts, and an actionable plan for improvement where problems were identified.

What We Did

Before deploying any equipment, Airscan conducted a site visit and interviewed the personnel responsible for health and safety in the factory, using those conversations to develop a measurement plan tailored to the actual risk profile of each space. Monitoring devices equipped with seven sensor types were placed in the areas where workers involved in technical processes were most likely to be affected. Parameters measured across both areas included PM2.5, PM10, TVOCs, CO2, CO, formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, temperature, and relative humidity.

How It Works

Designing a measurement plan around a site visit and stakeholder interviews rather than a standard protocol is what allows the assessment to reflect the specific risk profile of the environment. A metal-cutting room and a solvent-bearing workspace have different dominant hazards, different ventilation configurations, and different existing controls – and the monitoring approach needs to account for all of that to produce findings that are actually useful. Including the PID sensor to evaluate the existing VOC alarm in Area 2 added a layer of value beyond air quality measurement alone: it tested whether the safety infrastructure already in place was doing its job.

Outcomes

The assessment identified elevated concentrations of particulate matter and total VOCs in the technical areas – pollutants that, at sustained exposure levels, carry meaningful risks for the respiratory system and broader health of workers in those spaces. Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, temperature, and humidity were all within acceptable ranges, giving a clear picture of where the specific problems sat and where they did not. Airscan developed a targeted improvement plan covering both the optimisation of existing utilities – including the ventilation systems and alarm infrastructure – and additional solutions to address the identified gaps. Findings and recommendations were presented directly to the health and safety team for implementation.

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