There are many workplaces which are subject to dust particles in the air. This can be incredibly harmful to the health of employees and so it is essential that dust levels are monitored and dealt with effectively.
The level of dust will depend on the working environment, and the measures that are in place to deal with this.
In this article, CEM Solutions, specialists in dust monitoring equipment, take a look at what dust particles can do and find out more about the hidden risks that they present.
The danger of dust
Dust might be a common sight in many workplaces, but it can also be a significant health concern. It is inevitable in manufacturing sectors as well as many other businesses, where certain tasks will lead to the creation of dust and its subsequent dispersal into the air.
Even with regular cleaning, maintaining safe dust levels in places like factories or warehouses can be an uphill struggle, which puts the health of employees at risk.
The composition of dust will vary depending on the environment. Household dust is made up of things like hair particles, skin cells and bacteria, so it is considered to be little more than a nuisance, but in the workplace, dust can include all sorts of hazardous particles such as silica, wood dust and asbestos fibres.
Respiratory diseases
One of the main dangers of exposure to dust is the respiratory diseases that it can create or worsen. Fine dust particles can easily be inhaled into the respiratory tract, leading them to accumulate in the lungs, creating chest blockages and breathing difficulties.
Asthma attacks and pneumonia can all be triggered by exposure to certain types of dust, such as those from grain, flour, wood and reactive dyes. These can lead to coughing, wheezing and chest tightness and as pneumonia has the potential to be fatal, it is important that this is taken seriously.
Overexposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) can lead to silicosis, lung disease, or even lung cancer. The chronic effects of dust exposure in the lungs are incurable so preventing a build-up of dust is essential.
Skin conditions
As dust can settle on exposed skin, it can lead to a variety of allergic reactions. Any prolonged exposure to certain types of dust can lead to symptoms such as itchiness, scaling, and dryness. There are some dust types which also contain carcinogenic chemicals which can then lead to skin cancer.
Neurological complaints
There are some studies which have found the continuous inhalation of fine respirable dust particles can lead to a variety of cerebral complications such as dementia and the increased risk of strokes.
Business impacts
The danger of dust exposure is not just limited to human health, but also the health of your business. Employers have a duty to ensure the health and safety of their workers, which includes ensuring their exposure to dust in the workplace is minimised.
The health risks caused by uncontrolled dust can lead to poor employee health, which will then result in low productivity, profit loss and increased medical costs.
There are also likely to be a number of legal implications if an employer has failed to protect their workers from dust exposure.
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations have put legal limits in place in relation to worker dust exposure and so employers have a responsibility to ensure that this limit is not exceeded.
Dust particles might seem like a minor concern, but they can actually be incredibly serious. They have a number of health implications that businesses cannot afford to ignore.
This means it is important to monitor the dust levels in any workplace and take appropriate measures to protect employees at all times.
Mike Lloyd is the Managing Director at CEM Solutions, who offer products and services to cover all aspects of monitoring emissions to air and process control.
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