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DUST & FUME EXTRACTION


FIltErIng AIrBOrnE EMIssIOns In tHE WOrkplACE


By Joshua Evans MEng (Hons) IChemE, Applications Engineer and Head of BOFA Academy


have on the workplace operating environment for employees and product quality. Many manufacturing processes emit


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airborne contaminants which are potentially harmful to human health. These include laser and ink jet coding onto packaging, laser cutting and engraving, automated soldering and 3D printing and additive manufacturing. The rapid growth in the 3D print market has


triggered increasing awareness of the potential harmful effects of the emissions resulting from processes such as fusing and sintering. Depending on the materials being worked, these processes can release harmful airborne chemical reactions, along with nanoparticles and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Whatever the process, there remains a


fundamental onus on manufacturers to assess whether or not filtration technology is required to help maintain a clean operating environment using the hierarchy of control as a reference. In addition, managers should weigh the cost- benefit of employing effective extraction to keep costly equipment in optimal condition by preventing process dust impacting on quality. In terms of compliance, manufacturers need to


be mindful of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which requires employers to provide and maintain working conditions that are safe and without risk to the health of employees, so far as


s manufacturers strive to increase productivity through investment in lean tools and automation, they also need to consider any impact this will


is reasonably practicable. The UK’s COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations, along with the EH40 workplace exposure limits, govern the levels for potentially harmful airborne contaminants that must be followed. The same regulations also require that local exhaust ventilation systems, such as fume and dust extraction units, need to be fit for purpose and thoroughly tested annually. As a consequence, employers must assess the


potential risks to health caused by airborne emissions and take steps to ensure that any exposure is at best prevented, or at least adequately controlled. This means understanding what is emitted via any given process, in what


14 August/sEptEMBEr 2023 | IndustrIAl COMplIAnCE


volume and over what period of time. Health and safety managers must then


evaluate the most effective means of capturing harmful emissions and filtering them appropriately. While employers owe a legally enforceable


duty of care to ensure operator safety, there are also sound commercial reasons to invest in effective fume and dust extraction from a productivity perspective. A build-up of dust can lead to costly unplanned downtime and expensive repairs or equipment replacement. BOFA extraction technology options include


captor hoods, which employ a capture velocity across the source of the emissions; receptor


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