Filtermist’s ethos is to protect people by ensuring cleaner, safer, more productive working environments. It often sounds like typical corporate spiel but as we mark World COPD Day 2020 today we thought we should show you that this is not something our marketing team made up, but fact – Filtermist is actually good for your health.
COPD happens when the lungs become inflamed, damaged and narrowed. The main cause is smoking, although the condition can sometimes affect people who have never smoked.
In this document from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) you can see increasing research evidence that COPD can be caused or made worse by exposure to dusts, fumes and gases in the workplace.
COPD has detrimental effects on the quality of life and financial costs because of time off work and medical treatment. The current COVID-19 pandemic is exasperating the issue too, with sufferers of COPD being listed as ‘clinically vulnerable’ and being asked to shield in areas of the UK where cases of Coronavirus are at their highest.
Research findings suggest that for Great Britain:
- Around 15% of COPD may be caused or made worse by work
- 4000 COPD deaths every year may be related to work exposures
- 40% of COPD patients are below retirement age
- A quarter of those below retirement age are unable to work at all
COPD cannot be cured and once it develops, the damage to the lungs is irreversible. However, you can help mitigate symptoms by reducing exposure to dust, fume and gases at work that may be causing the problem.
As a business, we design, manufacture and install machinery that ensures your industrial work place has clean air by effectively removing contaminants such as oil mist, oil smoke, dust, fume and VOCs found in paint for example.
Other respiratory diseases
According to the HSE report ‘Occupational Lung Disease statistics in Great Britain, 2020’, an estimated 48,000 people who worked in the last 12 months currently have “breathing or lung problems” they regard as caused or made worse by work – that’s enough people to fill Manchester United’s Old Trafford Stadium with some left over!
As an employer you have a legal responsibility under CoSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) Regulations to ensure you have effective control measures in place which could include Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) equipment. If you use LEV you must ensure that it is maintained in efficient working order so it continues to provide the necessary protection to your employees.
Regular servicing from Filtermist’s experienced engineers means any issues can be identified and resolved in between routine LEV Tests too.
If you don’t comply and your employees get ill this can be costly to a business, not to mention leaving your staff with life changing illnesses. These are just a few examples:
An answer for everything
The ‘Occupational Lung Disease statistics in Great Britain, 2020’ report also states that of those currently with breathing and lung problems and who had ever worked, the following factors were identified as causing or making their ill-health worse:
- 13% of cases - Airborne materials from spray painting or manufacturing foam products
- 7% of cases - Dusts from flour, grain/cereal, animal feed or straw
- 20% of cases -Dusts from stone, cement, brick or concrete
- 10% of cases - Airborne materials while welding, soldering, or cutting/grinding metals
Filtermist Systems supplies solutions to all of these problems through customised air movement and pollution control systems for all types of industrial airborne contaminants, with the offer strengthened by the brands manufactured by Filtermist International.
Filtermist Systems’ expertise includes delivering fully automated centralised air cleaning systems for clients across a wide range of industries including metalworking, automotive, aerospace, surface finishing, food processing, pharmaceutical, printing, packaging and converting, chemical, agriculture, minerals and many more.
Filtermist’s turnkey service includes initial consultation and project planning, system design, specification, equipment manufacture and supply, installation, commissioning and aftersales services including COSHH compliant LEV Testing.
https://www.filtermist.co.uk/centralised-extraction-systems/
Our Brands
Dustcheck
Dustcheck products are used in a number of bulk handling applications. Standards of construction vary from mild steel with standard or special paint finishes, to stainless steel (grade to suit ie. 304 or 316) with finishes from standard sheet with welds as laid, to special crack and crevice free polished finishes.
All of our filters come with ATEX rated options meaning potentially explosive and volatile products, can be handled safely. They can also be built to comply with Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) where applicable.
www.dustcheck.com
Kerstar
Filtermist is also responsible for the Kerstar brand of industrial vacuum cleaners, including its ATEX approved models. The KEVA range is certified for use in Dust Zone 22, whilst the KAV range is suitable for picking up hazardous dust and debris in Dust Zone 21.
www.kerstar.co.uk
Filtermist
OIL MIST: Filtermist has specialised in effective oil mist removal since 1969 and is trusted by some of the world's leading manufacturers to effectively remove oil and coolant mist from the air in their workshops.
We offer three types of technology for removing oil mist – our own brand of UK manufactured centrifugal oil mist filters, premium filters which use static filter media and electrostatic filters.
FUME EXTRATION: Filtermist Systems specifies, supplies and installs a wide range of effective extraction equipment comprising fans, ducting, flexible arms and canopies, as well as fume treatment equipment that complies with EPA IPPC regulations. This includes activated carbon filtration, wet scrubbing, chemical scrubbing, electrostatic filtration, and thermal & catalytic oxidation.
Typical fumes handled or treated include welding fume, process generated fume, vehicle exhaust fume, chemical fume and solvent fume.
www.filtermist.co.uk
Supporting the British Lung Foundation
The British Lung Foundation charity is the only UK charity dedicated to looking after the nation’s lungs and has been funding research into lung conditions for 30 years. They operate a helpline, run support groups, host a web community, and provide easy-to-understand information which offers vital hope and support to sufferers of lung conditions.
Back in May 2020 the Filtermist Senior Management Team were due to take on the Three Peaks Challenge to raise much-needed funds for the charity.
With COVID restrictions this was not possible but they have now scheduled a new date and will be heading for the summit of Ben Nevis in Scotland, followed by Scafell Pike in Yorkshire and then Snowdon in North Wales on 18th May 2021 - with the aim of scaling all three mountains in under 24 hours.
The team is hoping to raise £2,500 and you can find out more about how to support them on their Just Giving page.
Filtermist really does deliver a single-source solution for customers looking for cleaner, safer and more productive work environments. Find your new clean air partner - discover more at www.filtermist.co.uk