1. Managing Dust Risks:
Plan
Act
Check

2. Plan Identify your High Risk Tasks:
= amount of dust x duration of exposure
Will be influenced by:
Type of material
Energy of work equipment – e.g. cut off saw
Where the work is taking place – e.g. enclosed space
How long the task takes – e.g. all day soft strip demolition

3. Plan: Wood and MDF
Wood and MDF:
Cutting and Sanding

4. Plan: Wood and MDF Cutting: Sanding:
Produces reasonable levels of dust
Particles vary from large sawdust to smaller respirable dust
Exposure increase significantly when the work is undertaken inside / an enclosed space
Sanding:
Much more dust in inhalable / respirable range
Belt sanders are particularly high dust generators

5. Plan: Lower Toxicity Dust
Plasterboard sanding:
Very dusty
Tends to be done in smallish rooms with poor ventilations
Grinding / Cutting:
Marble etc

6. Plan: Silica Dust Concrete, Granite etc:
Some Tasks ALWAYS produce very high levels:
Cut-off saws
Grinders
Chasers
Grit Blasting

7. Plan: Silica Dust Some tasks can in right conditions
Pneumatic drilling / coring with poor ventilation
Internal structural demolition
Dry sweeping indoors

8. Plan: Myths I am ok if I am working outside
The work I am doing is over very quickly so I will be fine
Its not affecting anyone else
The dust will quickly go

9. Plan: Conclusions
General link between power tools and high dust levels
Especially cutting and grinding
Some lower powered tasks can still generate high levels
The more enclosed the space the worse the dust levels

10. Act
COSHH requires:
Prevent exposure to employees where reasonably practicable:
Overriding duty
Do this by substitution
Eliminates or reduces risk

11. Act Adequately control where not reasonably practicable
Apply appropriate control
Not exceed exposure levels OR
ALARP for certain substances
Asthmagens
Carcinogens

12. CONTROL Act Appropriate work system, equipment, materials
MOST
EFFECTIVE
Appropriate work
system, equipment,
materials
CONTROL
Safe handling/
storage
Maintenance
Limit people,
duration, quantity
Ventilation
Hygiene
Management
Training
Control at Source
PPE/RPE as well
where above
inadequate

13. Act: Elimination
Design Out
Alternative grit blasting media

14. Act: Elimination
Work Processes

15. Act: Control at Source
Water Suppression

16. Act: Control at Source
On-Tool Extraction

17. Act: RPE Controls are not 100% effective
RPE is still needed for high risk tasks
Silica
Wood
High levels of low toxicity dust

18. Act: RPE
Unless there are real problems doing so do not just rely on a mask for high risk tasks
These can produce so much dust that the mask cannot give the amount of protection needed.
A mask only protects the person wearing it.
People make mistakes with masks
The main aim is to stop the dust getting into the air in the first place.

19. Act: Other Controls Also Consider: Segregation
Ventilation – long duration power tool tasks, internal demolition
Limiting people / duration

20. Act: Workers
Training
Engagement -

21. Check: Have work procedures Check controls working Maintenance
Supervision