Recent prosecution: Business fined £4,000 for repeated wood dust offences

A window and door manufacturer received a £4,000 penalty for a string of wood dust-related compliance issues. Visited by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) three times within one year, the business was repeatedly warned about wood dust exposure issues.

A subsequent HSE investigation showed the company had failed to protect employees from the dangers of wood dust in a variety of ways:

• Using inadequate local exhaust ventilation (LEV) and not having the system examined and tested within the past 14 months
• Failing to have employees face fit tested for their RPE
• Dry sweeping wood dust
• Using compressed air lines to clear wood dust from machines
• Using incorrect L class vacuums
• Not providing health surveillance for staff who had been exposed to wood dust

Despite a series of improvement notices, the business failed to implement control measures, resulting in an order to pay a £4,000 fine and £2,792 in costs.

Dealing with the dangers of wood dust

Wood dust exposure is a key target area for inspectors. You can protect your workers with a multi-layered strategy of risk assessment, control measures, and targeted health surveillance:

• Install local exhaust ventilation (LEV) – schedule inspections at least once every 14 months
• Prohibit dry sweeping within a mill or machining area
• Educate employees on the first signs of wood dust exposure
• Use a high-intensity dust lamp to highlight areas with heightened exposure hazards
• Conduct face fit testing whenever FFP3 masks are required
• Provide ongoing health surveillance for affected team members