In the first part of our Employer H&S emissions compliance checklist we explored why employers should analyse their production processes and why they should be able to prove they have identified employee health risks in order to ensure they are running a safe working environment.
In the second part of our checklist, we now turn our attention to how you can demonstrate that your extraction system is effective and where you can find out more.
3. Can you demonstrate your extraction system is effective?
From a process perspective, airborne fume and dust is caused by ineffective local exhaust ventilation.
Employers have a legal obligation to install the most effective extraction system. Typically, this would include captor hoods, using a capture velocity in front of a nozzle; receptor hoods, which use the movement of particles / droplets towards the device to capture them; partial enclosures, which extract contaminants typically for hand grinding and finishing; and full enclosures matched to the needs of automated production in say laser coding or PCB manufacture.
Every system must be thoroughly inspected and tested at least every 14 months, with records kept of the examination and test results for at least 5 years. These need to include details of substances, including their WELs.
To find out more about local exhaust ventilation testing click here
4. Need to find out more?
At BOFA, our technology portfolio serves sectors as diverse as laser, electronics, mechanical engineering, printing, 3D printing, medical, pharmaceutical, dental and beauty.
We’re here to help businesses keep their people safe. We’ll work with you to map any airborne risks associated with an industrial process and then provide guidance to help you choose the most appropriate extraction solution.
And remember, poor dust and fume management not only exposes workers to risk of harm, it also has a negative impact on productivity through downtime caused by equipment contamination.
For a conversation about the best extraction system for your business, email [email protected] or complete the enquiry form.
