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.