Why Dust Control is a Big Issue

Work related dust causes serious illness and the death of thousands of people every year, as the facts opposite clearly show.

That's why the HSE is committed to reducing respiratory illness and why Speedy, as the leading tool and equipment hire company and safety champion, has included dust as part of the award winning 'safety from the ground up' campaign.

Many people believe that the term 'dust' refers only to the seemingly harmless cloud of dry earth seen on site in dry weather. But dust is a much bigger and more sinister problem.

The term 'dust' means all 'airborne particles' including stone, wood and asbestos fibres. But, we also include other airborne materials e.g fumes from welding and vapours from chemicals. It comprises of particles of varying sizes, the smallest of which are invisible to the naked eye and represent the greatest danger to health.

This dust campaign will help site managers and operatives understand what dust is, the real dangers and provide guidance on safe working practice.

So, let's clear the air on dust control.

Site experience

To gain a better understanding of the problems associated with dust control, we commissioned an independent research study amongst site operatives and managers. It highlighted the following:

  • 80% of site operators claim to be affected by dust regularly and 20% claim it is a serious problem
  • Nearly 60% of site operatives thought they could do more to protect themselves
  • Over 40% were unaware of any company dust control policies
  • Most operatives thought that PPE (masks) were adequate protection but felt they were uncomfortable
  • Many workers felt that dust extraction tools were often unavailable

We aim to show how simple dust control and monitoring procedures can save lives and prevent needless suffering.

HSE's COSHH Essentials publications

The HSE publishes a range of leaflets with details and protocols for dust control relating to specific materials and tasks. They are published in the COSHH Essentials series. You can download them free from the HSE website - http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/index.htm

Safety from the Ground Up Material:

Legislation Reference :

5 steps to risk assessment.pdf

General HSE information on COSHH
www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/index.htm
Detailed information on COSHH Essentials
www.coshh-essentials.org.uk
HSE COSHH Essentials publications
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/index.htm
For particular construction tasks
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/cnseries.htm
Asthma
www.hse.gov.uk/asthma
COPD
www.hse.gov.uk/copd
Asbestos
www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/essentials/index.htm
Silica
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/index.htm
Wood
www.hse.gov.uk/woodworking/dust.htm
Other dusts
www.hse.gov.uk/copd/index.htm
Legislation and regulations
www.opsi.gov.uk/stat.htm

The facts...

  • 156,000 people suffered from work related breathing or lung problems in 2005/2006
  • An estimated 4,000 people a year die from work related COPD
  • 4,000 people a year die from asbestos related diseases
  • There are an estimated 8,400* new cases of work related skin disease a year
  • An estimated 1700* new cases of work related asthma are reported each year

Source: HSE statistics (THOR and SWI survey)
* Estimates corrected for under-reporting

Dust control's top ten tips

  • If dust creation is likely, conduct a risk assessment.
    Think – avoid, prevent, minimise
  • Use tools with extraction systems to extract dust at source
  • Use water suppression equipment to stop dust becoming airborne
  • Temporary polythene sheet systems can contain the spread of dust
  • Avoid creating dust in enclosed spaces due to increased risk
  • Use the correct RPE i.e. for short term work a filtering face mask may be appropriate. For longer duration or high risk materials a powered respirator or breathing apparatus may be necessary
  • Don't sweep-up; as it releases dust into the air. Use a HEPA (H) filter dust extraction unit
  • The most dangerous dust is invisible, use dust monitoring equipment to make the invisible, visible
  • PPE is important but is your last line of defence. Make sure you use the right type and it fits correctly
  • You have a duty of care to protect yourself and others. Look after your mates