FEATURE


Bringing industrial dust protection home


THE purity and safety of air quality on- site is given paramount attention, but why do so many tend to forget about it in the home?


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With the upcoming HSE Dust Bust health inspection initiative due to take place again between 17 June and 12 July, many of us will be looking at ways of improving our respiratory protection on-site, including our choice of industrial extraction vacuum.


Your health is something that cannot be bought or replaced at a later date, so make sure that you are working on a safe site and returning to a safe house.


And yet data results from a search engine keyword research platform show that, compared with an average of 320 searches a month for dust extraction vacuums, anti-allergy vacuum searches peaked at a meagre monthly average of 90 searches. This was even lower when looking at cordless HEPA vacuums despite the rising popularity of cordless equipment on-site and in the home.


Dust to dust Working sites are known for their risks and dangers to health and safety if suitable precautions are not implemented, but surely our home is safe? It is our home after all.


The truth, however, is that with many of us spending 90% or more of our time indoors and most homes lacking


suitable ventilation due to improved home insulation, our indoor spaces have become the perfect breeding ground for allergens to thrive.


To put it into stark perspective, Allergy UK stated in one of their recent blogs that: “a minimum of 9,000 deaths every year are attributed to indoor air pollution in the UK and indoor air levels of many pollutants may be 2-10 times higher than outdoor levels.”


As with the dust on-site, it is the respirable dust in our homes that is one of the most significant contributors to these respiratory threats, albeit from a different source; in this case, dander from our beloved pets and microscopic bugs are the culprits. These hide deep within the fabrics of our carpet and sofa, and despite being sucked up when vacuuming they are thriving in the filters of traditional domestic vacuum cleaners, waiting to be exhausted back into our breathing space when we next decide to have a quick run round.


Waging war on the space invaders There are of course many precautions and measures we can take in our home, but why not follow these steps and get cracking sooner rather than later?


Reduce humidity by increasing ventilation within your home. Open the windows regularly, install trickle vents where possible or, if necessary, invest in a dehumidifier to help keep humidity levels between 30%-50%.


Be a #DustBuster #WorkRight and visit: hse.gov.uk/construction


Plan your work Think of the job from start to finish. If possible, avoid disturbing asbestos or try working in different ways to avoid creating any dust. Where you can, avoid using power tools that create a lot of dust.


Use the right controls Keep down any dust you do create by using the right kit, wearing the right mask and clothing where needed. The right water damping or extraction will also stop dust getting into the air and spreading.


Know the risk Establish what the risks are and be conscious this work may create hazardous dust which is harmful to not only your health but the health of those around you.


Use a high-filtration vacuum cleaner with filters capable of retaining a high proportion of the smallest particles (such as a HEPA filter).


Vacuum all fabric surfaces such as; carpet, sofa and other upholstery at least twice a week.


Look for a domestic vacuum with an easy remove and clean HEPA filter, such as ones that can be popped in the dishwasher, saving you time and money.


Your health is something that cannot be bought or replaced at a later date, so make sure that you are working on a safe site and returning to a safe house.


www.v-tuf.com


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