Duration
About 5 minutes per person
Reporting
Digital report the same day
The pulmonary function test measures lung volumes and airflow to catch early signs of asthma, COPD and occupational lung disease. In workplaces with dust and chemical exposure, PFT and the chest X-ray are the two core tests of health surveillance.
Under the Regulation on Dust Control, health surveillance for employees in dusty environments is recorded on the EK-2 form, and the occupational physician sets its frequency based on the risk assessment, dust measurements and dust type. The regulation's pneumoconiosis diagnostic scheme lists pulmonary function abnormalities among its criteria. In asbestos work, the pulmonary function test is part of health surveillance together with the chest X-ray.
Tests are performed with ATS/ERS-compliant spirometers and a single-use filtered mouthpiece for each employee. At least three acceptable manoeuvres are recorded and FVC and FEV1 must be repeatable. Devices are calibrated at regular intervals, results are interpreted against age, height and sex reference values, and changes over the years are reported comparatively.
What is included
- FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC and PEF measurements
- Single-use bacterial filter mouthpiece
- Interpretation against reference values with physician review
- Annual comparative trend report
Legal basis
- Regulation on Dust Control (Official Gazette 05.11.2013/28812) Art. 10 and Annex 2
- Regulation on Health and Safety Measures in Work with Asbestos (Official Gazette 25.01.2013/28539) Art. 16
- Regulation on the Procedures and Principles of Medical Tests for Employee Health Surveillance (Official Gazette 20.01.2022/31725) Art. 11
- Occupational Health and Safety Law No. 6331, Art. 15
These summaries are for information only. For details see our OHS regulations guide.
Key industries
- Cement, ceramics and glass production
- Flour, feed and grain processing
- Paint and chemical manufacturing
- Mines and quarries
Questions about this service
What should employees do before the test?
We recommend no smoking and no vigorous exercise in the hour before the test, and loosening tight clothing. Employees who use bronchodilators regularly should mention it beforehand, and the physician decides whether to pause the medication.
How often is the PFT repeated?
The legislation sets no separate interval for PFT. Under the Regulation on Dust Control the occupational physician decides. As a general rule, periodic examinations are repeated at least every five years in the low hazard class, every three years in the hazardous class and every year in the very hazardous class.