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info@autoextract.co.uk +44 (0)1942 267 444Comprehensive and Effective Solutions for Dust Extraction...
Dust extraction systems filter the air to safely capture and remove any airborne particles, leaving the air clean and breathable. A dust extraction unit works on the basic formula of capture, convey and collect. We have several high-quality products available to remove some of the most common particulates from the workplace, including wood dust, silica dust and general dust.
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Finding the right dust extraction system that suits you can be challenging. There are many different products to consider. You shouldn't worry about the solution you need and whether it will do the required job. Our experts will take the stress away from you. Contact us today if you're unsure what industrial dust extraction system you need. We will consider your requirements and recommend a cost-effective solution tailored to your business.
Auto Extract Systems offers dust extraction systems for various industries and sectors. We're experts at capturing dust in the workplace and safely processing it to help your business provide a pollution-free workplace. Our solutions include portable units, small bag filters, and complex cyclone dust filtration systems.
Depending on your business's requirements, we'll help specify the right industrial extraction solution. So whether you require a small bag filter or a complex filtration system, we'll provide effective extraction and dust filtration solutions. We can protect workers from any material, including wood, paper, plastic, composite, metal, etc.
Our solutions feature the latest technology to help free your working environment from dust. We utilise the latest extraction technologies to increase production and profitability and create energy-saving efficiencies.
As an employer, you must always ensure the health and safety of your workers and site visitors. Specific workplaces, such as manufacturing and industrial environments, have an increased risk of dust contaminating the air. As we will mention below, coming into contact with dust can create a range of health risks. This is why it's vitally important that your business has an adequate dust extraction unit if your workplace is at risk of dust.
Dust extraction systems will improve your health and safety procedures by ensuring clean air is circulated and preventing the risk of fire hazards. Systems will also improve product quality and operational productivity while complying with regulations. Investing in a solution will protect your employees from health hazards and avoid enforcement action by the Health & Safety Executive.
Although everyone knows what dust is, it's essential to understand the definitions of the different kinds. As described in the Control of Substances Hazard to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002, there are two main kinds: inhalable and respirable dust.
Inhalable dust is an airborne material capable of entering the nose and mouth during breathing. Some dust may consist of larger or heavier particles, which can get trapped in the nose, mouth, throat, or upper respiratory tract. Respirable dust is defined as an airborne material capable of penetrating the gas exchange region of the lung (the alveoli). These can build up in the air spaces in the lungs, leading to lung damage.
It's critical to remember that dust can be a problem in almost any industry.
The health effects that dust can cause can prevail in almost any workplace. Depending on the types of dust you're trying to control, it can be difficult to know which HSE guidance to follow. However, we can help prevent exposure to hazardous substances with a bespoke dust extraction system.
The hazards of dust like silica and wood are well recognised, and HSE produces specific guidance for these dust, but many more substances generate dust as part of the working process.
We can help your business control exposure to dust at work to avoid ill health with industrial dust extraction systems. In HSE's EH44: Dust in the Workplace - General Principles of Protection guidance, it states that "Exposure to any dust in excessive amounts can create respiratory problems" and can cause, "Harmful effects from skin irritation to lung cancer depending on the dust type and length of exposure."
Other health implications can include skin sensation, eye damage, gastro tract irritation (if they enter the digestive tract) and affecting organs and tissues in the body if they enter the bloodstream (via the alveoli).
Every year, the Health and Safety Executive publishes a report featuring occupational lung disease statistics in Great Britain. The annual report outlines reported cases of lung diseases caused by exposure at work, showing whether cases are increasing or decreasing and if improvements are needed to prevent exposure and deaths. The 2023 report, released in November 2023, has a section on causes of self-reported respiratory diseases. 7% of people with breathing and lung problems from workplace exposure reported "dust from flour, grain/cereal, animal feed or straw" as the cause of their condition or a factor that worsened their ill health. 20% of cases were also due to "dusts from stone, cement, brick or concrete." These statistics show that dust is a significant cause of concern that a dust extraction unit can help with.
There are several types of industrial dust extraction systems to choose from. The price of a system will depend on which one you choose, what you need to use it for and your industry. If you require mobile extraction, you can opt for a portable dust filtration unit. Extraction arms are the optimal fixed solution for capturing dust before it can be inhaled. Wet collectors offer an efficient way to dispose of obnoxious fumes and dust. To protect the surrounding work areas, you can install a bespoke dust extraction booth.
Get in touch with us today to find out more about how we can offer you a bespoke, cost-effective solution for your dust extraction requirements.
Depending on the processes your business deals with, you might need to extract various types of dust to ensure a safe and healthy environment. Below, we will run through some examples of dust you will need to extract to reduce the risk for your employees.
Wood dust is produced when wood is processed through machining operations such as sawing, routing, turning, and sanding.
The biggest risk from wood dust is the fine dust produced. Fine dust is fine enough to be respirable and can harm your health. In addition, it can spread further than away from the cutting process and have a bigger effect on the health and safety of other people within the business. Exposure to hazardous dust can be controlled with local exhaust ventilation products such as a dust extraction system.
Find out more about the health risks wood dust can cause in the HSE's WIS23: Wood Dust: Controlling The Risks guidance. In addition, you can also view the HSE's Advice For Managers guidance, which is tailored to a wide variety of woodworking processes, including bandsaws, bench saws, crosscut saws, etc.
Silica is a natural substance found in most rocks, sand, and clay and products such as bricks and concrete. It is also used as filler in plastic products. Fibreglass, or glass-reinforced plastic, as it is technically known, also contains silica.
When these materials are cut, sanded, carved, trimmed or chopped in the workplace, they create dust that may be fine enough to be respirable. The fine dust produced is called respirable crystalline silica (RCS) and can cause harm to your health. It causes a health risk as it is too fine to see in normal lighting. Respiratory problems can include lung damage, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchitis. Other problems of exposure to silica dust can include skin irritation, impaired vision, dermatitis, and more.
Find out more about the health risks RCS dust can cause in the HSE's WIS23: Construction Dust and INDG363: Control of exposure to silica dust - (A Guide for Employees) guidance.
Also, learn about the HSE's dustbuster campaign, launched to help businesses provide dust-free workplaces in the wood, construction, and food manufacturing industries.
Dust extraction systems require extensive care and attention to keep them in good working condition when in use. The system is there to protect people from harmful substances like dust and fumes. However, if there is a fault with the system, then various workplace health and safety hazards can be created. A faulty system will not work as intended and may lead to toxic contaminants entering the environment.
The Health and Safety Executive states that LEV systems must be tested at least every 14 months. Carrying out a thorough service at regular intervals before a test will prevent you from failing the examination and ensure the equipment works correctly and is in good working order. An LEV service features several crucial tasks, including identifying faults and cleaning filters. We recommend that you pair servicing with a Planned Preventative Maintenance Program to ensure your industrial dust extraction unit never misses a test or service. Our team will keep you up-to-date on planning and scheduling everything you need to remain compliant.
In HSE's EH44: Dust in the Workplace guidance, it states: "Exposure to all such dust needs to be prevented or, where this is not reasonably practicable, adequately controlled." Prevention should be achieved with local exhaust ventilation, such as a dust extraction system.
Under the COSHH regulations, employers should regard dust as a substance hazardous to health, these can include a mixture of compounds, micro-organisms or natural materials, such as flour, stone or wood dust. The substance being used, or being generated as part of the working process should be controlled as per the HSE's Workplace Exposure Limit Guidance. Learn more about Workplace Exposure Limits in the paragraph below.
Once a formal risk COSHH assessment has been completed, prevention of dust exposure should be the first objective. Dust can easily be eliminated from the workplace with personal protective equipment and suitable engineering controls, including a bespoke dust extraction system.
HSE's EH44: Dust in the Workplace guidance states that: "Removing the dust by effective LEV should always be given priority" and that, "PPE should only be considered as a control measure as a last resort."
In the majority of cases, the most effective method of extracting airborne substances, such as dust is to capture at-source. We always recommended at-source extraction and depending on the working processes undertaken, LEV systems built into the machine or the process (that creates the dust). This prevents dust from dispersing into the broader working environment because of cross draughts and air movements, which can reduce the LEV system's efficiency.
Don't forget, according to COSHH regulations and HSE HSG258: Controlling airborne contaminants at work (A Guide to Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) guidance), which both state: "LEV equipment should be thoroughly examined and tested at least once every 14 months." We offer a comprehensive LEV testing and maintenance service. Find out more about how we can help your business with LEV Testing services.
We've helped businesses across various industries and sectors with filtration and dust extraction systems to ensure clean air quality, keep staff safe, and comply with health regulations. These industries include, but are not limited to, the following:
Check out our Case Studies section to learn more about the latest dust extraction LEV installations we've been working on for clients who work with processes that create dust.
Auto Extract Systems is the UK’s leading Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) company. Over the last 20 years, we've helped thousands of businesses create dust-free workplaces with a wide range of dust extraction systems.
As experts in all things LEV, we can help your business become COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) Regulation 2002 compliant with a tailored LEV solution. We provide comprehensive design, installation, maintenance and certification services across various industry sectors. Find out more about us here.
Industry processes we can add value to:
To help you learn more about dust extraction systems and how they can make your workplace safer, we've created several useful articles.
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