1. Demonstrated the ability to research and collate information on a relevant subject.
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Chemical hazards and toxic substances cause various health hazards and physical hazards. The chemical hazards are present in various forms such as dust, gas, vapour, fumes, liquid and mist (Jones and Treese 2015). The aim of this paper is to assess the dust control regimes as it has various routes of entry through inhalation, skin contact, ingestion, aspiration and injection. Duct control is an important measure that must be taken by suppressing solid particles. These hazards are most common at the workplace (Tomassoni, French and Walter 2015). Dust masks are a common feature in many dusty workplace environments. This paper explores the reasons for considering a poor occupational hygiene practice. Also, various other examples of suitable dust control regimes are recommended for an appropriate control measure from chemical hazards and toxic substances (Langley and Lipton 2013). The UK legislation is taken into consideration for checking the requirements and measures that must be taken at the workplace. The workplaces must comply with Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 for dust control at the workplace (Hse.gov.uk 2016).
Dust control regimes are considered adequate only if it follows principles of good control practice, workplace exposure limits are not exceeded, and the exposure to dust is as low as possible so that carcinogen or asthmagen is reduced (Amyotte 2013). There are various industries that are prone to chemical hazards due to dust. A few examples are the rubber industry, cement industry, flour mill, construction sites, mining sites and various others (Ji et al. 2016). The most common practice followed in these industries is wearing dust masks. Dust masks or filtering face piece respirators are used commonly at the workplace. It offers several advantages such as high comfort and no maintenance. According to Ahmed and Abdullah (2012), the cement factory workers in UAE wearing dust mask faced lower respiratory issues than the ones not wearing dust masks. However, it has several disadvantages as it does not form a tight seal against the user’s face allowing more exposure to dust. Also, the masks do not protect the user from all types of air contaminants. The masks cannot be used in oxygen–deficient atmosphere due to additional effort required for breathing. Not all dust masks provide respiratory protection (Gao et al. 2015).
According to Lekei, Ngowi and London (2014), the farmers in Tanzania use dust mask which is relatively cheap. These farmers are exposed to adverse health effects because it did not protect the farmers from pesticides. Only the solid particles got filtered. According to Neupane, Jors and Brandt (2014), the inadequate PPE use and poor hygiene practices did not protect the farmers completely as the dust mask do not filter pesticides. When working in agricultural fields, there are potential hazards in the form of dust, vapours, mould spores and germs that can cause serious health issues such as farmers’ lung, chronic bronchitis or asthma. In UK, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are committed to reducing these diseases by removing the hazard. The dust mask protects the workers against dust, but it depends on face fit. The respirator fits well unless the worker has a bear or thick stubble (Hse.gov.uk 2016).
Following the legislation in UK, COSHH plays a key role in preventing or adequately controlling exposure to hazardous substances. One of the highly recommended control equipment for dust control is Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV). Effective LEV helps in carrying away airborne contaminants before it is breathed by people at the workplace (Hse.gov.uk 2016). According to Morteza et al. (2013), the industries using crystalline silica have a risk of developing silicosis in workers. For such cases, LEV must be implemented so that the polluted air and pollutants can be removed from the work environment. There are various processes and key components of LEV. The compressed air may be used for cleaning the surface with a strong gust of air. The air jet can also be used in the form of the spray gun (Hse.gov.uk 2016). Local exhaust ventilation systems can be built in the respective machine or process that creates dust. General air movements and cross draughts can be detracted with the help of LEV (Health and Safety Executive 2013).
Other than dust mask, there are Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) that help in dust control regimes. PPE includes protective clothing. The dust characteristics are critical to consider as health hazards are also caused due to skin contact. The employees can be provided with the facility of changing into their ordinary clothes that must regularly be used and cleaned at the workplace. There are various work practices that can help in dust control regimes (Tomassoni, French and Walter 2015). Good work practices complement any engineering control measure against dust. Dust can stick to the employees’ skin, hair or clothing. The workplaces must be provided with efficient facilities for washing so that the employees can remove dust before leaving the workplace. The facilities can be provided on the degree of contamination such as the sink with disposable hand towels, warm water, and liquid hand soap. The building and plant that conduct processes involving dust must be cleaned with effective methods so that dust does not get accumulated. Methods such as compressed airline or brushing as it would disturb the dust particles (Cherrie et al. 2011).
Other work practices also include various principles for reducing contamination through the dust. The organizations can minimize the time required for the hazardous substances to enter the workroom air. The wastes and products that contaminate the air such as dust release during handling of castings, pre-cleaning of castings right after shake out must be removed as soon as possible. The areas containing hazardous or dusty substances must be taken care of by shutting doors immediately after use. While transport of powders, special care must be taken. Any skin contact with dusty particles must be avoided. Other equipment such as gloves, gears, glasses and other gadgets must be worn apart from dust mask so that overall contact can be avoided with dust (World Health Organization 2016).
Dust can also be prevented by using wet-cutting processes rather than grinding or sawing. In case the powder can be replaced by pellets, it is preferable to avoid dust. Respirators should not be necessary if effective dust and fume control measures have been applied and should only be considered as a last resort. However they may be needed for short-term exposures, e.g. filter bag changing and general maintenance, or when urgent action is required due to the failure of the plant (Hse.gov.uk 2016). Another example of efficient work practices to control dust is how the people dispose empty bags at workplace. The empty bags containing toxic powder must be replaced immediately after dumping the powder within the control of LEV. If the worker starts to fold and shake the empty bags, dust will spread out regardless of the efficiency of booth installation. The engineering measures cannot be guaranteed unless correct work practices are followed to handle dust (Hughes and Ferrett 2011).
The work practices can be made a habit among workers through instruction, information, and training. These strategies are the best technique for preventing dust. The workers who run the risk to exposure to toxic substances must be educated and trained on how to prevent it. The workers must be well informed on controls and hazards. The use of equipment and operating processes must ensure safety. Respirable dust is often invisible and the workers may sense a false security about the lack of emissions from processes (Hse.gov.uk 2016).
The PPE only protects the person wearing it and not all the people who can come into contact with dust particles. If the airborne material is spread through ventilation or spillage, the dust can affect the people at same workplace or other. The environmental contamination cannot be avoided through dust masks. A dust mask is only a temporary solution while environmental control measures are being implemented. There are times when the workers are overexposed to dust such as weighing toxic powders, sporadic abrasive blasting and various others for a relatively short period. There are repair and maintenance operations at factory that is also difficult to control (Agius 2011).
Conclusively, it is important to prevent dust rather than controlling the harmful effects caused by it. A high level of protection is provided with full face respirators rather than half-covered dust mask. Often, the dust masks are confused for particulate and vapour filters; that results in ineffectiveness against the hazard. Dust masks cannot be worn in oxygen-deficient atmospheres. It is important not only to wear dust masks but also other personal protective equipment such as gloves, aprons, safety goggles or glasses. Adequate training is necessary on how to use them. High occupational hygiene is necessary to maintain as chemical hazards through dust not only spread through respiration but also through skin contact, ingestion, aspiration and injection. Particular care is required in stacking, transporting, bag opening and bag disposal. It is important to clean spillage using vacuum cleaners as soon as possible. It is necessary to conduct healthy work practices for powder handling, waste management and toxic substances.
References
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Gao, S., Kim, J., Yermakov, M., Elmashae, Y., He, X., Reponen, T. and Grinshpun, S., 2015. Penetration of Combustion Aerosol Particles Through Filters of NIOSH-Certified Filtering Facepiece Respirators (FFRs). Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 12(10), pp.678-685.
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