Controlling airborne contaminants at work – a guide to local exhaust ventilation from HSE contains detailed information for LEV designers, employers and employees.
All businesses regardless of size are bound by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002. COSHH is designed to minimise exposure and protect workers’ health.
If you fail to comply you could:
Not to mention the moral obligation to protect your employees!
Despite stricter regulations than ever before, thousands of workers in Britain still contract occupational lung and other diseases, including cancer, each year. Many of these cases are attributed to exposure to dangerous levels of oil mist, smoke, fume, dust or other airborne contaminants at work.
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 require employers to undertake continuous risk assessments throughout the workplace and ensure that workers are adequately protected from exposure to these hazards.
These regulations highlight that Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) can remove airborne contaminants before people breathe them in and LEV is therefore considered fundamental in most systems used to help control exposure to airborne contaminants. Accordingly, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued detailed guidelines and statutory requirements for the design, installation and testing of LEV equipment.
Any work which is liable to expose an employee to a substance hazardous to health must not be undertaken unless a risk assessment and subsequent steps to control any exposure have been undertaken.
Employers are legally responsible for implementing risk assessments throughout their workplace and for ensuring action is taken to their protect workers from exposure to hazardous substances. With almost fifty years' experience in the manufacture, installation and maintenance of extraction and filtration equipment, Filtermist will ensure that you get the best and most cost-effective extraction solution – first time.
All employers must prevent exposure of employees to substances hazardous to health or if this is not practicable, ensure the risk is minimised as much as possible.
Filtermist is acknowledged as a global leader in the control of oil mist, smoke, fume, dust and vapour. As we manufacture the majority of the equipment we supply, we can guarantee fast response supported by in-depth technical and application knowledge to provide the most effective and practical extraction solution possible.
COSHH regulations demand that any control measures must be maintained in an efficient state and in good working order. Local exhaust ventilation equipment must also be thoroughly examined and tested at least once every 14 months.LEV Testing
From installation through to performance monitoring, servicing and maintenance, Filtermist provides a total solution. Centrifugal, electrostatic, and cartridge units; extraction cabinets and benches; and hoses for collection of contaminants at source are all supported by application expertise that is proven worldwide. Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) testing is provided by Filtermist's highly qualified engineers who also have detailed application experience – providing recommendations that you can rely on without incurring unnecessary expense. Filtermist air flow indicators, smoke sticks and log books, as specified in HSG258, are available for all makes and types of extraction system.
When the risk assessment shows that air monitoring is a requisite for controlling airborne contaminants that could be hazardous to health, the regulations require that air monitoring is undertaken at regular intervals or after any change that may affect exposure.
Filtermist provides an air monitoring programme that is developed to meet your individual requirements, providing results that you can rely on to maintain COSHH compliance - cost effectively.
Conform to worldwide occupational health and safety standards
Many manufacturing applications can result in operatives being exposed to a wide range of hazardous substances in the workplace. These contaminants can include dusts, fumes, vapours, fibres, gases and micro-organisms. Depending upon the substance and the extent of exposure, employees can experience a wide range of adverse health effects potentially leading to a variety of diseases. Products and services from Filtermist help manufacturing businesses comply with local health and safety guidelines by reducing the amount of airborne pollutants. In some countries the penalties for being in breach of these guidelines can be severe with heavy fines for the business and individuals responsible within the company.
It is also important to keep a healthy workforce to reduce down time and sickness which negatively affect the productivity of the business. Air Monitoring will indicate the extent of exposure occurring and highlight the effectiveness of any control measures in place. The results should be compared with relevant exposure limits to determine the need for improvements. Filtermist can advise on the effectiveness of control measures in place and assist in the formulation of appropriate risk management strategies.
When should you use air monitoring?
Monitor your Filtermist oil mist collector with the new and improved F Monitor. Filtermist’s F Monitor 2 & 2+ uses a globally recognised traffic light system of coloured warning lights to alert machine operators when an oil mist collector needs servicing.
If you want the security of knowing when your extraction equipment needs servicing, Filtermist can retrofit F Monitors and Pressure Gauges to monitor air flow and pressure – eliminating guesswork.
Now with Bluetooth connectivity to connect to a dedicated app
Filtermist’s dual monitoring system lets you know instantly if there are any issues with your extraction system, or if a service is due
Filtermist provides oil mist collectors in over 60 countries worldwide