The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will be running another inspection programme targeting businesses that use metalworking fluids across GB from October 2023 – March 2024. The programme aims to ensure duty holders understand the risks posed by metalworking fluids and coolant, plan their work and have adequate control measures in place to protect workers’ health.
Employers have a legal responsibility under COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) Regulations 2002 to protect employees from exposure to any substance considered hazardous to health. A hierarchy of controls should be used to identify the most effective control measure for each circumstance, but the HSE generally recommends using Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) on all CNC machine tools as the most effective way of controlling contaminated air at source.
Filtermist offers a wide range of products and services designed to ensure the air in fabricated metal premises is clean and safe to breathe, and compliant with COSHH regulations. These include:
*For companies that have installed LEV systems on their machine tools, COSHH regulations require thorough examination and testing (TExT) at least once every 14 months by a competent person. Full details can be found in HSE publication HSG258 - Controlling airborne contaminants at work: A guide to local exhaust ventilation (LEV).
The HSE Health and Safety at Work summary statistics for Great Britain 2022, states that there are still approximately 12,000 deaths from lung disease every year which are attributed to past exposures at work. In the manufacturing industry, a significant cause of work-related respiratory disease is exposure to metal working fluids (MWF). Airborne MWF particles can cause a range of illnesses including Occupational Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (also known as allergic extrinsic alveolitis) and Occupational Asthma.
The HSE has published a number of COSHH essentials sheets for machining with metalworking fluids which can all be accessed on the HSE website, https://www.hse.gov.uk/metalworking/ecoshh.htm.
Contact our team now by calling 01952 290500 or by emailing sales@filtermist.com to discuss how we can help you prepare for a possible visit from the HSE.