By Tony Hopkins, Business Manager Products at Nederman
Breathing can be defined as the passage of air into and out of the lungs to supply the body with oxygen. A simple involuntary act the vast majority of us take for granted. However, in a workplace without adequate dust or fume control, that simple act could be contributing to short or even long term health problems. (Read More)
Workers in bakeries, paint sprayers and those who inhale solder fumes in the electronics industry are susceptible to Occupational Asthma. Welders can suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, whilst Occupational Alveolitis can develop in employees in food processing industries. Those who work with asbestos, nickel or chromium risk Lung Cancer.
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations, part of the Health and Safety at Work Act, places a duty on employers and employees to ensure that exposure to hazardous substances is either prevented or adequately controlled.
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Where this exposure is caused by the potential release of hazardous dust or fumes into the air, the release must be controlled. This is achieved most effectively and economically by the use of Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) which aims, by the use of effective hooding, booths, etc, to capture the dust or fumes at source and protect not only the process operator but also his or her colleagues in the general factory environment who would also be at risk should the dust or fumes be allowed to escape. The Health and Safety Executive has published a guide to LEV, HSG258 ‘Controlling airborne contaminants at work’, aimed not only at the suppliers of LEV systems but also the employers and their representatives whose duty it is to manage these systems and prevent exposure of their workforce to airborne hazardous substances.
Regulation 9 of the COSHH Regulations requires that thorough examination and testing of LEV systems is carried out at least once every 14 months, however in some instances the testing intervals are much shorter. For example, processes involving the abrasive blasting of metal castings require monthly testing, whilst dust or fume generating processes in the non-ferrous casting industry require testing every 6 months. Employers not adhering to the required test frequency, or often not having any testing done at all, are putting their company at risk of enforcement action from the HSE. Furthermore, it puts employees at risk from potentially underperforming LEV systems that are not providing an adequate level of control. Often a reduction in effectiveness of an LEV system can be a simple maintenance issue. This can include the need for new filter media, new fan belts or even wear and tear in the ductwork that can cause leaks and reduce the amount of air available at the point of dust or fume generation. This can be highlighted in an LEV report and suitable action can be taken.
Working closely with the HSE, the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) has developed the course P601: Thorough examination and testing of Local Exhaust Ventilation systems. Successful completion of the course enables an engineer to competently evaluate the design and effectiveness of LEV systems and their component parts, undertake the statutory testing in line with established procedures and record the results in a suitable format.
Nederman has a dedicated team of engineers P601 qualified to inspect, test and maintain all types of LEV systems irrespective of its design or manufacture and they are regionally based throughout the UK to provide nationwide coverage.
Nederman is a world leader in industrial air filtration. They are specialists in solving problems relating to fumes, gas, dust, recycling, working conditions and an efficient production environment. Many Nederman solutions have been ground-breaking innovations within the metal fabrications industry, vehicle repair shops, plastic and composite processing, the chemical, food and woodworking industries and many more. Services cover everything from project planning to installation, commissioning, testing and maintenance.
Nederman Ltd, 91 Seedlee Road, Preston
PR5 8AE
Tel : 08452 743434
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.nederman.co.uk
