There’s no question that we understand that contamination is a bad thing, but do we really understand what the dangers of dust mean for individuals and organisations?
Whilst contamination comes in various forms, there are some broad categories that we can use to make understanding the dangers easier.
One of the most important forms of contamination in the workplace and the most hazardous form to health is dust.
This blog discusses the different categories of dust that can cause serious and long-term health problems within your workforce.
Why Is Dust a Serious Health Risk?
Dust in the workplace is currently one of the single most significant health and safety issues and can be a problem in any industry. Thousands of people each year suffer adverse health effects due to workplace exposure, and this exposure can lead to a number of health problems, including:
- Occupational Asthma
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Pneumoconiosis
- Cancer
Dust can be a subtle contaminate, with the most hazardous particles often being invisible to the human eye and with the health effects only becoming apparent many years later.
Common Types of Hazardous Dust in the Workplace
Flour Dust
It’s easy to underestimate the hazards related to flour dust. Approximately 100,000 people are potentially exposed to it every day in the UK baking sector, usually with no obvious side effects.
When inhaled, flour dust can trigger an irreversible allergic reaction in the respiratory system, also known as Occupational Asthma, with symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and eye irritation.
Fortunately, there are methods of control available, ranging from reducing the production of dust, such as dust reducing handling methods, the provision of appropriate respiratory protection, and methods of reducing the amount of dust in the air.
Asbestos
Even though the use of asbestos-containing materials has been banned since 1999, asbestos still poses a severe threat, especially to tradespeople.
Regardless of the improvements in managing asbestos, it still kills 20 tradespeople (on average) a week due to the long period between exposure and the onset of diseases.
Working with asbestos can pose many dangers, and following the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, most work can only be carried out by HSE licensed contractors.
Wood
There’s a reason that many carpenters and joiners are four times more likely to suffer from asthma compared with other UK workers. Exposure to wood dust, especially hardwood dust, which is associated with nasal cancer, can result in serious health problems.
According to The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002, you are required to protect workers from the hazards of wood dust, and Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) are in place to make this easier.
There are several methods of control, including:
- Dust extraction, also known as local exhaust ventilation or LEV
- Using PPE/RPE for short-term protection
Silica & Concrete Dust
The potential risk of concrete in the construction industry is often underestimated. High levels of concrete dust are usually produced when cement is being handled, whether that’s when you’re emptying or disposing of bags or scabbling or cutting concrete.
Long-term exposure to this type of dust cause occupational asthma, but exposure to the Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) found in concrete and mortar can lead to the development of silicosis or scarring of the lungs, which often results in a lack of lung function and even cancer.
Breathing in RCS can also lead to COPD.
One possible means of mitigation would be the practice of having mobile shower units on site, which can ensure workers can remove any lingering dust at the end of their shift.
What work activities may create dust?
Many work activities can create dust. These include but are not limited to:
- Weighing loose powders
- Filling bags or emptying them into skips/containers
- Cutting (e.g., paving stones)
- Crushing and grading
- Clearing up spillages
Workers exposed to dusty environments, such as stonecutting and quarry work, are at a greater risk of developing respiratory illnesses, such as asthma and pneumonia, and visual disturbances, which can impact their quality of life.
Other workers at risk include those in the fire rescue services, where asbestos inhalation is a hazard, people working in catering roles where flour dust is airborne, and woodworkers who are exposed to fine wood dust particles, amongst many other roles.
What Does The Law Say About Dust Exposure?
Dust is classed as a substance that is hazardous to health under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) (2002).
The definition of a substance hazardous to health includes dust of any kind present at a concentration in air greater than 10mg/m3 (as a time-weighted average over 8-hours) of total inhalable dust. The limit for respirable dust is 4mg/m3 (as a time-weighted average over 8-hours).
The COSHH Regulations require employers to assess the risk to their employees and prevent or adequately control employees’ exposure to these substances.
Employers should make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to health from the dust(s) concerned and the steps that need to be taken to meet the requirements and should provide employees and other people on premises with suitable and sufficient information, instruction, and training.
How to Control Dust in the Workplace
Prevention of exposure to dust should be an employer’s first objective, as many forms of dust can be eliminated from the workplace.
Use the XD1+ to measure and control personal exposure to dust in the workplace.
Where it is not reasonably practicable to prevent exposure to dust, a combination of engineering and process controls may be appropriate, but ensuring you’re using the right combination is crucial.
Methods for controlling dust include:
- Segregating or enclosing the dusty processes to reduce the number of people exposed
- Providing extraction where total enclosure is not possible
- Damping down materials where the process permits it
- Minimising the height that material is allowed to fall
- Encouraging workers to work with care and instructing them how to control the dust produced by their activities
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which is inclusive of protective clothing and respiratory protective equipment (RPE), may be provided for welfare purposes, but its use as part of your organisations’ strategy for controlling exposure should only be considered when all other reasonably practicable measures have been taken.
