Industrial Dust Matters Exposure / Effects / Limits / Control
Mike Slater
BOHS President 2014/15
How many people are exposed to dust at work?
Estimated as 9,200,000 4%
11%
9%
5%
9%
8%
9%
24% 9%
9%
Source: John Cherrie, IOM
How does exposure occur?
Dust exposures typically occur when:
Handling powders
Cutting, grinding, drilling etc.
Handling friable materials
Disturbing dust settled on surfaces
What are the health effects?
Fibrosis
Lung Cancer
0 1000 2000 3000 4000
Other agents
Working as painter
Shift work
Mineral oils
Diesel exhaust emissions
Silica
Asbestos
Occupational cancer deaths by cause in Great Britain, 2005
0 1000 2000 3000 4000
Other agents
Working as painter
Shift work
Mineral oils
Diesel exhaust emissions
Silica
Asbestos
Occupational cancer deaths by cause in Great Britain, 2005
Respiratory disease
Irritation Fibrosis COPD Asthma Lung
cancer
Evaluating the risks?
HSG173 - A Structured Approach
Initial Appraisal
Basic Survey
Detailed Survey
Brick Making – Silica Exposures
19%
40%
41% > WEL
> 50% WEL
< 50% WEL
Stone Cutting– Silica Exposures
29%
44%
27%
> WEL
> 50% WEL
< 50% WEL
Risk of silicosis
0
5
10
15
20
25
0 0.04 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.2 0.24 0.28
Exposure to Air Concentration of RCS for 15 Years
mg.m-3
Per
cen
tag
e R
isk
of
Sil
ico
sis
Aft
er 1
5 Y
ears
Wo
rk
Risk of silicosis
0
5
10
15
20
25
0 0.04 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.2 0.24 0.28
Exposure to Air Concentration of RCS for 15 Years
mg.m-3
Per
cen
tag
e R
isk
of
Sil
ico
sis
Aft
er 1
5 Y
ears
Wo
rk
“Low toxicity” dusts
“Substantial concentration of dust”
• 10 mg/m3 inhalable
• 4 mg/m3 respirable
“until safe limits are put in place, employers should aim to keep exposure to respirable dust below 1 mg/m³ and inhalable dust below 5 mg/m³”
Institute of Occupational Medicine
“try to ensure that employers follow a precautionary standard of 2.5 mg/m³ for inhalable dust … and 1 mg/m³ for respirable dust.”
TUC advice to safety representatives:
Cherrie J, Brosseau LM, Hay A, Donaldson K (2013)
http://annhyg.oxfordjournals.org
Controlling exposure to dust
Prevention
Engineering
Work practices
PPE
Prevention
Engineering
Work practices
PPE
Prevention
Engineering
Work practices
PPE
Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/copd/casestudies/wetcut.htm
www.aessolutions.co.uk
Prevention
Engineering
Work practices
PPE
Prevention
Engineering
Work practices
PPE
Reduce exposure time Increase distance Working methods Standard procedures
Prevention
Engineering
Work practices
PPE
Prevention
Engineering
Work practices
PPE
Prevention
Engineering
Work practices
PPE
Supervision
Maintenance
Procedures
Auditing
Testing
Health surveillance
Monitoring
Information
Training
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