In House Safety are experts at conducting workplace dust exposure assessments in a variety of workplace environments. Our air quality consultants have the knowledge and equipment to undertake a thorough building survey and determine the appropriate methodologies to be employed to monitor the dust levels your staff are being exposed to. Samples will be taken away for analysis and a report generated that details the results of the assessment and gives recommendations for best practise to reduce the overall exposure of your staff to dusts and maintain a healthy and productive workplace.
Why have an Workplace Dust Exposure Assessment?
The level of workplace dusts will vary depending on the type of materials being used, the machinery being operated, the level of ventilation present and the design of the workplace. Dusts are recognised by the HSE as a workplace hazard that can lead to some serious health effects of your employees.
Some businesses are higher risk than others for dust exposure. The businesses that deal with Flour, Grain, Silica and Wood dusts pose a particular risk. The HSE has issued Industry Guides for various sectors that handle these dusts which businesses are advised to follow.
As an employer, you have a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure the safety and well-being of your employees. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 requires employers to assess and control the exposure of their workforce to hazardous materials. Which as stated includes Dusts.
Unfortunately, the dusts that cause the most damage are often invisible to the naked eye. Therefore, in order to complete a suitable and sufficient COSHH Assessment then measurements of the actual dust levels present in a workplace would provide a good basis.
Many substances that can create dusts have been given a Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) under COSHH. Therefore a dust assessment will be able to accurately determine the exposure levels and determine whether the WELs are being exceeded and action is required.
What are the impacts of exposure to high levels of dust?
The presence of high uncontrolled dust levels within a workplace can negatively effect the respiratory health of your employees potentially leading to occupational asthma, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These health effects can take years to develop and therefore exposure must be controlled.
Employers have a duty of care to ensure the health and safety of their employees. This includes ensuring that the air they breathe is safe. In addition, if the dust falls within the definition of ‘substance hazardous to health’ then the requirements of COSHH will apply, including the need to assess the risk to workers and to ensure exposure is prevented or adequately controlled.
Potentially any dust should be monitored and assessed but especially if:
i) If the dust falls within the definition of ‘substance hazardous to health’ then the requirements of COSHH will apply, including the need to assess the risk to workers and to ensure exposure is prevented or adequately controlled.
- which is listed in Table 3.2 of part 3 of Annex VI of the CLP Regulation; and
- for which an indication of danger specified for the substance is very toxic, toxic, harmful, corrosive or irritant; or
- if it is a substance to which a workplace exposure limit (WEL) applies.
ii) If not falling within any of the above categories, paragraph (d) of the definition of ‘substance hazardous to health’ in regulation 2 of COSHH states that any dust when present in the workplace at a concentration in air equal to or greater than 10 mg/m3 of inhalable dust or 4 mg/m3 of respirable (as a time-weighted average over an 8-hour period) is considered to be a substance hazardous to health.
Workplace dust assessments should be carried out by an expert who can provide an unbiased report. They should not be linked to any products or services that they would benefit from selling to you following the audit, such as cleaning products or air conditioning units. Get in touch with us today for a professional and unbiased audit.
For general guidelines on reducing dust within the workplace then the HSE has issued the following guidance: https://www.hse.gov.uk/dust/assets/docs/eh44.pdf
Many different controls exist, including Local Exhaust Ventilation, Increasing natural ventilation to dilute the concentration and even general housekeeping. In House Safety will undertake a careful assessment of the dust creating processes and identify where the dust is not being controlled and make recommendations for appropriate controls. Get in touch with us today to get specific advice regarding your processes.