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Causing various industrial diseases such as respiratory issues, chronic lung conditions and cancer; contaminated workplace air can be hazardous for employees when inhaled.
People working in high-risk sectors, including metalworking and welding, are particularly vulnerable to harmful airborne particles. An employee is likely to inhale more than 3,000 litres of air during an eight-hour shift, according to data from WorkSafe, increasing to 10,000 litres when doing hard physical work.
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If this air contains contaminants from work processes, the health hazards can be significant. Although our respiratory system contains defence mechanisms to remove some contaminants, the human body can’t cope with breathing in high levels of dust or fumes, or low levels over a long period. It can overwhelm our natural defences, causing diseases.
According to UK workplace watchdog the Health and Safety Executive, welding is particularly associated with chronic and acute health risks, with occupational lung diseases including lung cancer being the most common. The effects can begin soon after exposure to welding fumes: around 50 UK employees in the sector being admitted to hospital every year due to inadequate safety protection.
Occupational exposure to various airborne contaminants can worsen a wide range of existing respiratory diseases such as asthma, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer and mesothelioma. It can also lead to irritation of the eyes, mouth, throat, nose and skin.
The most prevalent contaminants are dust, fumes, welding smoke, volatile organic compounds and chemical vapours. Each has its own health effects, and by law, employers must take steps to protect the workforce by putting safety measures in place, such as a dust extraction system or fume extraction system, depending on the work environment.
Common industrial processes such as blasting, sanding and grinding cause dust and particles to circulate into the surrounding environment. They can change a minor irritation into a significant health risk very quickly, especially at a higher concentration. The most prevalent particles in industrial workplaces are metallic dust, mineral fibres and organic dust, all of which pose a serious risk when exhaled in large quantities, potentially causing life changing diseases.
Fumes and gases leaking into the air during workplace processes can be equally hazardous. They can displace the clean air quickly and disperse into a large area, creating a toxic environment and an oxygen deficiency. As well as creating a hazardous and noxious atmosphere that can prove fatal, combustible fumes can cause explosions and fires, leading to loss of life and serious damage to the business premises.
Welders and metalworkers are in great danger of inhaling metal particles from processes such as soldering and smelting that are likely to continue even after retirement. Welding fumes are associated with chronic health issues, the most serious being lung cancer. Without protection, workers are exposed continually to carcinogenic substances such as nickel, chromium and manganese. Studies cite an increased risk of lung cancer, with the International Association for Research on Cancer concluding all welding fumes are a high risk and classing them as Group 1 carcinogenic substances.
The common health hazards associated with working with volatile organic compounds included throat, eye and nose irritation; nausea; headaches and dizziness; skin irritation and fatigue. Long-term health effects potentially include cancer, liver damage and central nervous system issues. The VOCs’ ability to spread into the air and be inhaled by employees in significant concentrations make them a high risk to safety. Common sources include industrial solvents used in manufacturing and construction; paints and paint thinners; various products used in the building trade such as new carpets, flooring materials and plywood; and fuels such as petrol.
Chemical vapours in the work environment can cause many serious health issues such as respiratory irritation, cancer and organ damage in cases of longer-term exposure. Immediate health risks can include headaches, dizziness and even asphyxiation, depending on the exposure level and type of chemical. Vapours can irritate the throat, nose, eyes and lungs and can cause breathing problems, coughing and sneezing. Directly toxic to the kidneys, liver and nervous system, certain chemicals such as benzene pose a significant cancer risk.
As well as the health issues unprotected workers can face, airborne contaminants can also have a negative impact on industrial equipment and machinery, clogging filters, increasing wear and tear and causing corrosion, leading to costly repairs and equipment failure. When machinery fails due to inadequate maintenance and protection, this can also lead to downtime for a factory or manufacturing plant, resulting in significant financial loss.
The HSE monitors workplace safety through the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations 2002, which require employers to control hazardous workplace substances by carrying out a risk assessment, identifying hazards and putting measures in place to protect employees. Substances covered by COSHH include workplace fumes, chemicals and airborne particles.
COSHH also requires employers to provide the workforce with information on how to stay safe, including training on using the equipment. Employee health should be monitored over time when working with hazardous substances and an emergency plan must be put in place to deal with accidents or incidents.
The most important considerations include filtration efficiency, ease of maintenance, cost-effectiveness, and the ability to handle the specific contaminants present in the environment.
Offering tailored filtration systems for a variety of workplace contaminants, including dust and fumes; AirBench dust extraction and fume extraction products stand out in terms of air filtration for industrial settings. As the UK’s leading manufacturer of downdraught benches and cross draught extraction systems, we have more than 10,000 extraction systems in service in the UK and overseas.
For further information, please contact us and we’ll be happy to book a demo.
AirBench Ltd are the UK’s leading manufacturer of downdraught benches and cross draught extraction systems. We have more than 10,000 extraction systems in service in the UK and overseas. Along with our range of coolant mist filters and air cleaning systems, we are actively helping businesses across many industries solve their workplace dust and fume issues.
If you'd like to try an AirBench product for FREE simply book a demo and we'll bring one to you.
If you’d like to try an AirBench product for FREE simply book a demo and we’ll bring one to you.