Recent prosecutions: Company fined £60,000 for hazardous dust offences

A manufacturer of stone kitchen worktops was slapped with a £60,000 penalty after ignoring repeated Health and Safety Executive (HSE) warnings about hazardous dust exposure. Despite the HSE visiting the company nine times in six years, employers took little or no action to protect workers.

Inspectors identified widespread complacency and several breaches of health and safety law, particularly regarding exposure to potentially lethal respirable crystalline silica (RCS). The business was served with four improvement notices. At the subsequent hearing, they received a £60,000 fine and were ordered to pay £7,363 in costs.

The dangers of respirable crystalline silica

Working with building materials like concrete, brick, sandstone, or granite can create dust containing respirable crystalline silica (RCS). Prolonged exposure can lead to irreversible and potentially fatal respiratory conditions, including silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer.

Essential steps to protect your team:

• Understand the workplace exposure limits (WELs) of the materials you're working with.
• Install local exhaust ventilation (LEV) – examined every 14 months.
• Ensure dry sweeping is prohibited in areas where RCS-generating activities take place.
• Require workers to wear appropriate PPE, such as FFP3 masks and gloves.
• Consider face fit testing as part of your risk assessment when FFP3 masks are required.
• Train your team to recognise and report the early warning signs of poor lung health.