Health & Safety


It’s time to make sure another worker does not bite the dust


DUST can be a problem in any industry. However, the waste and recycling sector faces challenges due to the diff erent types of dust workers may be exposed to through the collection, sorting and processing of waste.


Dusts are not all equally hazardous. Diff erent dusts, or even the same type of dust in diff erent work situations, may create various risks to health and require diff erent precautions to be taken.


Exposure to dust in excessive amounts can cause respiratory problems in workers. The harmful eff ects of dust vary, from skin irritation to lung cancer, depending on the composition of the dust, and the type and degree of exposure.


Dust is not always an obvious hazard, because the particles which cause the most damage are often invisible to the naked eye and the health eff ects of exposure can take years to develop.


Dust that can enter the nose and mouth during breathing is referred to as ‘total inhalable dust.’


Some dust may consist of larger or heavier particles that tend to get trapped in the nose, mouth or upper respiratory tract, where they can cause damage.


Dust particles that are small enough to be breathed into the lungs are called ‘respirable dusts’ - these dusts build up in the air spaces in the lungs, and can lead to lung damage.


The build-up of any dust in the lungs could produce lung damage with infl ammation and eventually fi brosis (scar tissue), which leads to breathing impairment. These conditions usually develop slowly, so symptoms may not appear until severe irreversible changes have taken place.


As well as breathing problems, dust in the workplace can also cause skin problems, eye irritation and gastrointestinal disorders.


Many substances that create dust have


been assigned a Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH). Not all dusty materials have a specifi c WEL.


However, the lack of a limit does not mean that the substance is safe. Where dusts do not have a WEL, but there is evidence of potential hazards to health, employers should consider setting their own in-house standards and take into account good control practice.


The COSHH Regulations require employers to assess the risk to their employees and to prevent or adequately control the exposure of employees to substances hazardous to health.


The employer should make a suitable and suffi cient assessment of the risks to health from the dust(s) concerned, and of the steps that need to be taken to meet the requirement of COSHH; and implement these steps before the work begins.


Sometimes air sampling may be needed to fi nd out the level of exposure. These measurements should be made under normal working conditions. A risk assessment should include:


- An assessment of the risks to health form dust, including information of the hazardous nature of the dust, the type of exposure, and how the exposure occurs - details of the controls to be used; and (if appropriate) arrangements for emergency procedures.


- All uncontrolled dusts are potentially hazardous. In particular, any uncontrolled dry process or dusty work activity, especially in an enclosed environment, is likely to create a dust problem. However, dusts are not all equally hazardous.


- Diff erent dusts, or even the same type of dust in diff erent work situations, may create diff erent risks to health and require diff erent precautions to be taken.


- Control measures usually involve a


• Eliminating the use of a harmful product or substance


combination of equipment and ways of working to reduce exposure. In order of priority, the right combination of control measures could include:


• Using a safer form of the product, changing the process to emit less dust


• Enclosing the process, so that dust does not escape


• Extracting dust emissions near the source • Minimising the number of workers at risk


• Applying suitable administrative controls, such as reducing the length


• Providing important personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, overalls


of time workers are exposed to dust and also a respirator


For more information on controlling the health risks from dust in the workplace, contact Deborah Williams:


dwilliams@compasshealthandsafety.co.uk Deborah Williams CMIOSH RMaPS is Principal Safety Consultant at Compass Ltd.


Deborah specialises in assisting private sector organisations within the construction, waste management and extractive industries.


You can contact her on: 01257 482256 or via email: dwilliams@compass-ms.co.uk 26 SHM February, 2018 www.skiphiremagazine.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64