HSE Inspections Targeting Woodworking Businesses to Fight Occupational Lung Disease

It is a well-known fact that woodworking businesses such as sawmills and carpenters have a high exposure to wood dust. This exposure can cause serious health damage including occupational and work-related asthma as well as nasal cancer.

To avoid the loss of work days, illnesses as well as deaths due to this cause, the UK’s Heatlh and Safety Executive (HSE) will, from April 2022, begin inspections across the nation to ensure compliance with regulations as well as improve the health and safety these such workers.

It is estimated that around 12,000 lives were lost in 2021 as a result of exposure to wood dust and its related challenges. The prevention of lives lost is a priority for the HSE as is ensuring that businesses apply correct ventilation practices, use protective equipment & appropriate guarding.

The aim of this is to ensure that workers and employers are aware of the risks related to these types of respiratory illnesses & to take measures to reduce and minimise the harm that can be caused.

HSE’s head of manufacturing, David Butter, has been quoted as saying that “businesses can act now to ensure they are complying with the law.” This can be achieved by ensuring that wood dust is controlled at source through fitting and using extraction on machines.

To ensure that dust capture remains effective, guards on machines are recommended for usage as these can not only protect workers’ hands and fingers from harm, but also when well adjusted, can help minimise dangers. Also important as part of this initiative is for workers and employers to understand the risks as well as how to control them.

An effective wood dust extraction solution for woodworking

One of the ways to ensure that wood dust is captured effectively is through the implementation and usage of an effective dust extractor for woodworking. This will help users minimise the chances of getting injured or ill and also ensure full compliance with the law.