Joinery firm fined due to wood dust exposure levels
Health & Safety update - 24/05/11
Fines have been levied upon a Bristol-based joinery and
staircase firm following its failure to control exposure to wood
dust.
Blackstone Developments (South West) Ltd was inspected by the
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in February this year. The HSE
inspector discovered that the firm had failed to comply fully with
the Improvement Notice it had been issued with in October last
year.
Insufficient action had been taken to improve a Local Exhaust
Ventilation (LEV) plant which was used to control the level of
exposure to wood dust.
The LEV – which sucks harmful fumes and dust out of the air so
they cannot be breathed in by staff – had not been maintained
properly and nor was it working in the most efficient manner.
The firm pleaded guilty to breaching the Improvement Notice
requirements, which is an offence under Section 33(1)(g) of the
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. A fine of £3,750 plus
costs of £836.50 was levied against it.
Christine Haberfield, HSE Inspector said, “Woodworking dusts can
be potentially harmful to health. They can cause asthma and
dermatitis and some are linked to cancer.
"It is imperative that where local exhaust ventilation is
provided to prevent employees breathing in the dust, it is
maintained and examined to ensure that it is working properly. Any
company that does not take these steps will face enforcement action
by HSE," she added.