HSE Clamp Down on Exposure to Wood Dust

On 1^st April 2022, the HSE announced that health and safety inspectors will be visiting business within woodworking industries such as sawmilling, carpentry and manufacture of composite boards, as well as other industries where wood dust exposure can occur – including construction sites.

Inspectors will be looking for evidence that employers have assessed the control measures required to reduce workers exposure to wood dust, that workers understand the risks of exposure to wood dust, and effective control measures have been put in place to protect workers from harm.

The HSE have stated that Inspectors will take enforcement action when necessary to make sure workers are protected.

How can you demonstrate compliance?

• Have you identified the airborne hazard(s) and properly evaluated the risks to health? This would include conducting a suitable COSHH risk assessment and cross-referencing documents such as Safety Data Sheets and EH40/2005 ‘Work Exposure Limits’. It is important to note that in January 2020, the WEL for Hardwood dusts reduced from 5mg/m3 to 3mg/m3, and if hardwood dusts are mixed with other wood dusts, the new WEL will apply to all wood dusts present in that mixture.
• Have you considered the hierarchy of control; Eliminate, Substitute, Engineering Controls, Administrative Controls, PPE? If it was not feasible to eliminate or substitute the hazard, then you must demonstrate how you selected a suitable engineering control. When you selected your engineering controls, did you cross reference documents such as HSG 258 ‘Controlling airborne contaminants at work: A guide to local exhaust ventilation (LEV)’? HSG 258 explains how an LEV system should be properly selected, installed and tested, depending on the activities in hand.
• How are you measuring the efficiency of your control measures? You could use a continuous real-time dust monitor to measure airborne particulate levels – remember, if you do not measure it, you cannot manage it! It is also important to ensure that any LEV equipment you are using has had a recent Thorough Examination and Test to ensure it is working at the optimum performance level (TExT to be conducted at least every 14 months).
• Have you recorded your assessment and shared it with your staff? Have you presented ToolBox Talks around the hazards and given them specific training on control equipment? The HSE state that employers must provide information about the hazards, risks and control measures, and instruction and training to use the control measures. It is also the responsibility of the employer to regularly review the COSHH risk assessment; the time between reviews will depend on type of risk, the work and the likelihood of changes occurring.

If you need any support with managing and controlling exposure to wood dust (or any other substances), please contact RVT Group and one of our BOHS qualified consultants will be pleased to provide some guidance on LEV and propose a suitable solution for your activities.

Useful Links:

Download RVT’s ‘Understanding the Dangers of Wood Dust’ Whitepaper

See all Dustex® Dust Extraction Equipment

See all Dust Monitors