Silica Dust HSE Inspections – Are You Ready?

By Filtermist Limited
schedule6th Oct 22

The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) latest inspection programme will run from October this year targeting manufacturing businesses using materials that contain silica.

Inspections will take place across GB to ensure duty holders understand the risks associated with inhalation of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) and have effective controls in place to keep workers safe and protect their respiratory health.

Filtermist is offering a FREE, no obligation site survey to ensure your control measures are fit for purpose. Click here to book a visit or call us on 01952 290500.

 

Protect operators

Dust that is produced in the construction materials industry can have serious effects on the health of your employees.

Employees are the most valuable asset to any business. As well as a moral obligation to protect your work force you have a legal obligation too. Exposure to dust can cause serious skin conditions and even damage to the lungs and airways. The main dust related diseases affecting construction workers are:

  • Lung Cancer
  • Silicosis
  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD)
  • Asthma

According to the HSE it’s estimated that deaths from lung cancer associated with exposure to silica dust number around 600 per year with 450 of these occurring from exposures in the construction sector.

Silica dust

Silica is a natural mineral that exists in various forms, including sand, quartz and flint but it’s also found in materials such as concrete and mortar.

Silica dust can be generated by tasks such as cutting, drilling and grinding; and silica can also be found in foundry sands, fettlings and kiln linings. Silica is broken into dust which can be fine enough to be inhaled and reach deep inside the lung - this is known as respirable crystalline silica (RCS) and can cause harm to health. Significant exposure can cause silicosis and lung cancer.

Non-silica dust

There are some construction products where silica is not found or is only present in very low amounts. The most common include gypsum, cement, limestone, marble and dolomite, though this dust can also mix with silica dust when cutting things like bricks.

The HSE sets a long term Workplace Exposure Limit for every industry and a full list can be found on the HSE website. Breaching of these standards can result in severe penalties, loss of productivity due to employee sickness and even legal action. For small or large businesses, looking after employee health by reducing dust exposure is vitally important.

Solutions

Filtermist Systems can provide dust control solutions and a comprehensive aftermarket service to ensure control measures are operating as intended.

Effective dust control is vital in any manufacturing industry. The equipment we supply includes venting and extraction solutions for typical applications such as bag tipping, bulk silo venting, conveying and mixing, as well as packing, crushing, and drilling and screening.

Designed for you

We source and supply equipment with various standards of construction. We typically specify mild steel, however, our engineers also consider the method of construction based on the product’s wear characteristics and product flow – for heavy dust loads for example.

Whether the application is process related – where the product being handled is a process ingredient (process venting) – or the application is handling fugitive emissions from the process (dust extraction or Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV)) – we have a solution that will fit your need.

All the filters we supply come with ATEX rated options meaning potentially explosive and volatile products can be handled safely; and, although not a typical requirement within the industry, can be built to comply with Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) too.

We also offer a wide range of filter cartridges and bag media which are able to handle products from the coarsest to the finest - from the freest flowing product to the most cohesive. Our in-house design team is able to provide dust control systems to fit almost any space constraints so we can ensure we provide the right fit for your work-space – inside or outdoors.

Aftermarket Support

Filtermist's aftermarket team can provide a range of services to help ensure you're inspection ready. These include:

  • Servicing and Maintenance
  • LEV Testing
  • Air Monitoring and Air Sampling

If you'd like to speak to one of our team to find out how we can help keep your working environment clean, safe and COSHH compliant:

Call us on 01952 290500

or

Email [email protected]

Qualified Engineers

Filtermist's P601 and P602 qualified LEV Engineers provide routine and reactive maintenance, and COSHH compliant LEV Testing for all makes and models of Local Exhaust Ventilation systems (LEV) throughout the UK.

A digital job report is sent to the customer at the end of each visit, making it easy to file and retrieve if necessary

COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations require all LEV systems to be tested by a competent person at least once every 14 months - sometimes more frequently depending on the application. More details can be found on page 85 of HSE publication HSG258 'Controlling airborne contaminants at work'.

Contact our team now if your LEV system is overdue a service or routine test.

Why Filtermist?

All of Filtermist’s LEV and Service Engineers have successfully undertaken the BOHS P600 qualification ‘Methods for Testing the Performance of Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems’, and all LEV Engineers have completed P601 ‘Thorough Examination and Testing of Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems’.

A number of our team also hold P602 ‘Basic Design Principles of Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems’ and P604 ‘Performance Evaluation, Commissioning and Management of Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems’ qualifications.

In addition to professional qualifications, Filtermist’s engineers have extensive industry experience – some of our colleagues have been employed in this field for more than 20 years.

Filtermist provides comprehensive LEV Testing for all makes and types of extraction equipment, working strictly in accordance with HSG258 guidelines.