Wood Dust Failures

An Essex-based company that makes windows and doors has received a £4,000 fine after repeatedly failing to protect its workers from exposure to wood dust.

What happened?

1. The business was visited by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on three occasions over a 12-year period.

2. It was identified that there were significant build-ups of wood dust around machinery, as well as other health and safety breaches, including:

• workers not being provided with suitable respiratory protective equipment (RPE).

• inadequate local exhaust ventilation (LEV), and failure to have its LEV thoroughly examined and tested within the preceding 14 months;

• failure to have employees face fit tested for their RPE;

• common dry sweeping of wood dust;

• using compressed air lines for clearing of wood dust from machines;

• using incorrect ‘L’ class vacuums; and

• failure to have employees who were exposed to wood dust under health surveillance.

Source: HSE Press Release

What was the result?

1. Three Improvement Notices were served relating to control of wood dust.

2. A further Improvement Notice was served relating to arrangements for monitoring, guarding, and other protection devices on machinery.

3. The business pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 9(2), 11(1) and 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002.

4. The business was fined £4,000 and was ordered to pay £2,792 costs at a hearing at Colchester Magistrates Court on the 16 of January 2025.

Breathing in wood dust excessively can cause asthma and nasal cancer. Guidance on working in the woodworking industry is available and an inspection-led campaign to protect workers continues.

Lessons Learned

• Health surveillance should be undertaken for employees exposed to wood dust; a way of monitoring health to detect ill-health effects such as occupational asthma.

• LEV in woodworking should be subject to a Thorough Examination and test by a competent person, no less frequent than every 14 months. It is a detailed and systematic examination sufficient to make sure the LEV can continue to perform as intended by design and will contribute to the adequate control of exposure.

• Face fit testing is required for tight fitting RPE to ensure that it fits the wearers face and does not leak.

• Wood dust should be cleared on a regular basis using a minimum of an ‘M’ class vacuum. Dry sweeping and use of compressed air lines should not be used for clearing of wood dust as they create plumes of dust that can then be inhaled once again.

If you work with wood dust, please see guidance which is provided free of charge on the HSE website.