TLV stands for Threshold Limit Value and is a term that is used to describe the level of a particular thing that a worker can be exposed to during their shift without experiencing any type of adverse effects. This term got its official start from the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). While this is where it is officially used, many other industries have adopted the term as well because it accurately reflects such an important concept in workplace safety.
TLV has a similar meaning as Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI), Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI), No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL), and other terms used throughout a variety of different industries. These terms are very helpful in developing safety standards for various workplaces, and they are also used by government agencies such as OSHA when setting up regulations.
Whenever you have any type of hazardous material, substance, or another thing in the facility, it is a good idea to see if there is a TLV for it. Even things such as noise can have a TLV associated with it. For example, having some elevated noise levels in an area for a short period generally does not cause hearing loss. If that same elevated noise continued for hours on end, however, the cumulative effect could cause damage.
Many different things have well-established TLVs associated with them already. Looking these up and setting safety standards for your facility will help you to always keep your employees safe. If it is not possible to limit exposure to these things to a level below the TLV, using PPE or other safety precautions will help to avoid issues.
