Dangers of Dust Inhalation

Dust inhalation is a real problem in the UK. No one should return home from work less healthy than when they left the house that morning. This should be a universally accepted truth. Unfortunately, there are people in many industries who are exposed to dust and other harmful materials and particles.

The recent #WorkRight Campaign launched by the Health and Safety Executive is centred around this issue. As part of their campaign, they will be carrying out surprise inspections on businesses to ensure measures are in place to minimise the risk of dust inhalation to workers.

So why exactly are the HSE taking such strong measures to tackle dust in the workplace?

Risks of Dust Inhalation

Regularly breathing construction dust can cause diseases like lung cancer, asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and silicosis. Construction workers have a high risk of developing these diseases because many common construction tasks can create high dust levels.

These diseases cause permanent disability and early death. Over 500 construction workers are believed to die from exposure to silica dust every year. As well as this, research carried out by the Health and Safety Executive estimates that there are 12,000 lung disease deaths every single year that can be attributed to past exposure to silica dust at work.

Obviously these figures are no joke and ought to be treated with real concern. This is why the HSE is acting now, making it a priority to improve the situation. Odour and Dust Solutions are completely on board with the HSE’s new campaign. We believe the safety of workers and the protection of their health should be an employer’s number one priority.

No one should have to endure the ordeal of any respiratory diseases; being exposed to silica dust in your chosen career shouldn’t put you at risk.

Controlling Dust in the Workplace

Controlling dust is difficult but certainly not impossible. There are many great solutions on the market which are highly effective in controlling and suppressing workplace dust particles. There is also machinery that can actively monitor the dust levels in the air.

fog cannons to help prevent dust inhalation — Fog cannon

For example, we can offer a range of different methods to solve the issues plaguing your workplace. From fog cannons to nozzle and atomiser systems. These systems use moisture to attack the dust particles and prevent them from becoming airborne, which is where they are at their most dangerous. We understand the complexities and needs of each individual workplace, and can provide a bespoke solution for any scenario.

Monitoring Dust Levels in the Workplace

Recent developments in technology have allowed us to take the next step in the war against deadly atmospheric dust particles. New to the market, for instance, is the Trolex Air XD Real-Time Dust Monitor utilises lab-grade precision laser technology to continuously measure particulates of multiple sizes in harsh and hazardous environments.

This means you can keep constant tabs on what the current dust levels are in your workplace. The Trolex Air XD is 5 times more accurate than the industry standard. This represents a massive shift in the fight against dust levels in the workplace.

Odour and Dust Solutions can supply all of the previously mentioned equipment and technology. Get in touch with us if you have any questions or would like a quote for any dust control, dust suppression or dust monitoring solutions for your workplace.

01560 480822

[email protected]

Health and Safety Executive #WorkRight Campaign Focusing on Dust

Health and Safety Executive Dust Inspections

The Health and Safety Executive has announced that the current focus of their #WorkRight campaign is dust. Odour and Dust Solutions are fully aware of the problems that people can face due to exposure to harmful levels of dust, and fully support this campaign.

Firstly, inspectors from the HSE will be visiting construction sites, woodworking factories, food manufacturing plants, recycling plants, quarries and more to carry out surprise inspections. These inspections will be searching for evidence that people in charge and staff are aware of and have systems in place in order to keep exposure to dust down.

Health Risks of Dust in the Workplace

A big part of the campaign being undertaken by the HSE is making sure everyone is aware of the risks that dust can pose to those exposed. According to recent research, for example, there are 12,000 lung disease deaths per year linked to past exposure of harmful substances breathed in at work.

These numbers are astonishing. On the other hand, they’re preventable. With the correct dust control and dust suppression systems in place, these numbers can be reduced. The HSE want to raise awareness of just how dangerous dust inhalation can be. Workers in all the industries mentioned should understand the risks associated with carrying out their jobs. This is especially true in industries that create a lot of dust. People should know to plan the job from start to finish and use the right controls to protect their lungs.

Employers have a legal duty to protect their workers, so everyone can go home healthy and not suffer any consequences years down the line. In order to do this, employers need to adopt systems that will help to keep dust levels in the workplace at healthy levels.

Dust Monitoring and Dust Suppression Systems

Odour and Dust Solutions offer a range of different methods that can monitor and reduce dust levels in the workplace. From fog cannons to nozzle and atomiser systems, we have an arsenal of machinery to help keep dust well and truly suppressed in the workplace.

As well as this, we make use of state-of-the-art dust monitoring equipment . This equipment can monitor – in real time – the atmospheric levels of dust in the air. This technology is simple, portable and can be used across a variety of different industries. We recommend using Trolex, as it gives you great feedback and is incredibly accurate.

Taking a proactive approach to these issues is certainly the way to go. By operating in this manner, you will be able to keep levels of harmful airborne dust particles down. This will improve the health and safety of your workers.

Dust & Asbestos Awareness Courses

Odour and Dust Solutions are leading the way in the fight against dangerous atmospheric particles. In 2020, we will be running new training and awareness courses.

These awareness courses will be related to dust, asbestos and bio-aerosols. These courses will focus on everything you need to know about workplace particles.

We will be delivering these courses UK wide and to businesses from many different industry sectors.

For more information on our systems or awareness courses, get in touch:

01560 480822

[email protected]

Freshfilter Air Cab Quality Systems

The UK’s Exclusive Supplier of Freshfilter Products

Cab Air Quality Systems in the UK

Once again leading the way in Odour and Dust Solutions are delighted to be the UK’s only supplier of Freshfilter Cab Air Quality Systems.

What Are Cab Air Quality Systems?

Cab Air Quality Systems are used on haul trucks and mobile machinery. They protect the machine operator from polluted air from outside the cabin entering in. The system achieves this by creating an artificial over-pressure inside the cabin.

Due to the pressure difference between the inside of the cabin and outside, contaminated air from the outside can only flow into the cabin through the overpressure unit of the system. Therefore the air in the unit is filtered, which ensures that only clean air is blown into the cabin.

Why are Cab Air Quality Systems Needed?

Cab Air Quality Systems prevents harmful particles and pollutants, including gasses, from entering into the cabin. This helps to reduce problems for the person within the cab. This type of protection can have a huge impact on the health and well-being of workers. It can prevent long-term health complications related to the inhalation of dusts, gasses and other harmful air pollutants.

Recent research by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has estimated that there are 12,000 lung disease deaths annually that can be linked to past exposures in the workplace. They also estimate that the number off ill-health cases and days missed from work due to ill health is costing £15bn per year.

These are astonishing numbers; numbers which are preventable if greater precautions are taken with regard to health and safety measures within the workplace.

Why choose Freshfilter Products?

Freshfilter’s patented airflow technology means you can rest and breathe easy in the knowledge that the filters have an elongated lifespan. Because of this, contaminated dust particles do not stick to the filters due to the effect of gravity. This ensures a longer lifespan of filters.

All overpressure systems are installed according to legislation and Freshfilter can perform an annual inspection to guarantee the quality. All overpressure systems are designed in such a way that the air can only enter the workspace via the filter package. Therefore, this means you will always be breathing clean air within the cabin.

Freshfilter offers a range of different products, so this ensures there is something for everyone’s needs. Odour and Dust Solutions are able to supply the entire Freshfilter Catalogue. Whether your company is in mining, sorting, asbestos removal or forestry, Freshfilter systems can have huge benefits. Above all, they increase performance, contribute to safety measures. Finally and most importantly, they optimise the productivity of employees and machinery.

If you’d like to learn more about the Freshfilter range of products or would like to make an enquiry regarding your business, get in touch with us on [email protected] or call us on 01560 480822

Odour and Dust bring new Algae product to market

Odour and Dust bring to the market, their new Algae product range, to deal with various waste streams, composting and wastewater treatment.

Our products:

SPEED • CLEAN • FEED • PROTECT

They perform multiple biological functions.

Our product range includes:

ODS400 Algae

Hydrocarbon Cleaning
Composting

ODS200 Algae

Wastewater Treatment (some industrial wastewater)

ODS W

Sludge Treatment

Deriving from Marine Algae – (Pure Ascophyllum nodosum) our products are:

Nutritionally rich
High in enzymes and pro-biotic compounds
Absorbent, with water retentions 30+ times its weight

Odour and Dust Solutions offer an economical, effective but simple, biological solution to wastewater treatment. Proprietary suspension in the product provides an effective, natural process by which impurities in water and sludge are degraded biochemically. Our products are: non-toxic – (marine algae suspension from Ascoplyllum nodosum seaweed). Toxicity is eliminated as bio-active properties break down organic compounds in a metabolic process.

This metabolic process results in:

- Significant reduction of BOD & COD
- Improved hydration and sludge volume reduction
  - 20-40% sludge reduction (dependant on organic content)
- Increased Plant equipment capacity
- Elimination of odour and better working environments

Economizes on:

Sludge treatment costs
Energy usage
O₂ usage

Odour and Dust Solutions also offer an economical, effective but simple, biological solution which activates and stabilizes the decompositon of organic matter.

How does our product work:

Bio-activates – digestion of green waste, speeding up the metabolic process
Feeds – micobes nutrients, which are easily absorbed
Protects – microbes so they can continue to work efficiently, in hostile environments
Assists Sanitation – through (metabolic heat-production)
Kills – pathogens via pro-biotic bacteria
Blocks and Isolates Heavy Metals – in soils and greenwaste
Reduces particle size – by further enabling the break down of organic waste
Reduces – anaerobic digestion time
Prevents dehydration – optimising moisture retention
Optimizes – microbial health
Increases – end product value
Helps meet PAS 100 standards (rigorous UK industry standard for compost, to be adopted by EEC)

How our products work:

Feeds micro-organisms (e.g. bacteria) and macro-organisms (e.g. plants & animals).
Ascophyllum nodosum is a nutrient-rich vegetable, containing life sustaining elements, at levels way above those of any land plants.
Bio-availability – nutrients in our products are chelated, colloidal, optimally-balanced, and easily absorbed.
Bio-activity – our products are natural, they restore microbiological life to organisms and eco-systems. As the bacteria is exposed to nutrients, it begins to feed & thrive, subsequently producing enzymes which speed up the biological processes. This bacterial + enzymatic activity supports and protects life.
Our “pre-biotic” products address pre-biotic chemistry, which is essential to life. They improve digestion efficiencies and decomposition, while eliminating odours via biological ionexchange.
Protect organisms, through ion exchange which rids the environment of toxins, encouraging microbial growth and proliferation.
Prevent assimilation in animals and plants by blocking heavy metals in soils and waste products.

Our claim: Our products have proved to kill pathogens, increase bacterial growth and disturb harmful microbes. A report from our independent test, is available on request.

As our products work biologically, they will not produce instant results. Biological processes take time.

Beat the cold weather with our brand new anti-ice kit

Protect Your Misting System From Ice

Can be fitted to existing or new spray systems
Designed to automate the emptying process of spray lines during cold periods
When the temperature drops below the set value the emptying system is activated
Prevents the formation of ice in the system
Can be built for any size of unit

All Inclusive Product for Disinfectant

The solution designed to prevent the spread of disease and virus in animal breeding farms.

Modular system for the disinfection and washing of vehicles and chassis to prevent the spread of disease and virus in animal breeding farms. Complies with various and rigorous Health and Hygiene standards.

New Lemon Citronella Fly Repellant

Odour and Dust are pleased to be able to offer our natural fly repellant with a combined fragrance to break odours.

Lemon Citronella Fly Repellant is a safe product with a lasting fresh fragrance. The product can be used our spray systems and various other types of systems.

How does it work?

Oil of Citronella repels target pests rather than killing them. It works by masking scents that are attractive to insects. Thus, insects find it difficult to locate their target to feed.

What is it made from -Oil of citronella is a naturally occurring insect and animal repellent distilled from two grass varieties. It is yellow to brown and has a grassy/floral smell.

Treatment of Legionella in spray systems with Oxyl-Pro™

What is Legionella?

Legionella is a bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease. A pneumonia like illness and a milder flu-like illness known as Pontiac fever. (https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Legionella)

Is your system at risk of Legionella?

If water is stored or recirculated as part of the system or the temperature at any part is between 20 – 45 degrees Celsius. Or if sludge, rust scale or organic matter deposits exist then they will support conditions for bacterial growth.

Does your system produce water droplets? If so are they droplets dispersed? Could visitors to your site be exposed to these droplets? If the answer to any these questions is yes then your system is at risk of Legionella. (http://hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/)

Responsibility

“Under general health and safety law, duty holders including employers or those in control of premises, must take suitable precautions to prevent or control the risk to legionella.

They also need to … assess sources of risk, manage those risks, prevent or control any risks, keep records and carry out any other legal duties.” (http://hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/)

Preventing or controlling the risk of Legionella

In order to prevent risk any spray should be controlled. Ensuring water does not stagnate. Keep pipe lengths as short as possible. Keep water and the system clean. This can be done by flushing out the system and treating with Oxyl-Pro™.

Avoid using materials within the system that support bacterial growth. Record keeping and monitoring the system is essential.

On site Testing

Odour and Dust Solutions can provide onsite Legionella test kits. The tests give a positive or negative result in 25 minutes. This is a simple test that you can carry out and provides evidence of results for record keeping.

Treatment with Oxyl-Pro™

Oxyl-Pro™ is stabilised hydrogen peroxide. Evidence has shown that Oxyl-Pro™ eliminates micro-organisms including Legionella, without risk of resistance. Oxyl-Pro™ also offers a disinfecting property and an effective bio-film treatment.

Oxyl-Pro™ safely breaks down to water and oxygen, therefore leaves no nasty chemical residue. Oxyl-Pro™ is tasteless and odourless.

Further benefits of Oxyl-Pro™ is that it can be dosed into your system manually or automatically. It does not contain silver. Doubt has been cast over the use of silver stabilised hydrogen peroxide.

Dust Suppression

How does foam dust suppression work?

The majority of dust in a typical quarry is created during the extraction and crushing process. Dependent upon the nature of the mineral, moisture content and particle sizes – the dust is released in to the environment during subsequent conveying, screening, stacking and loading operations.

In order to prevent dust particles from getting airborne Foam is introduced in controlled measures immediately prior to the crusher and directly in to the crushers. This ensures that all the material is fully coated in Foam.

As the mineral / aggregate is crushed – new faces are exposed and dust particles are released. These dust particles collide with the Foam bubbles piercing and thus releasing the moisture held therein. The result is that the dust particle becomes thoroughly wetted and its increased weight causes it to fall back on to the main body of the material. The wetted dust particles will then continue their entire journey through subsequent crushing, screening etc to the final storage bins without ever getting airborne.

To achieve effective dust suppression approximately 2 litres of solution converted to Foam is required per one tonne of material. ODS Foam has been developed to bind dust and floating parts. ODS Foam totally biologically degradable so it can be used on many applications.

Fog Cannons

The Rino is the new Fog maker machine from Idrotech to help in the fight against dust problems. Used in the quarry, demolition and mining industries it has proven to be a great success. Designed to maximise the water flow to produce maximum droplets.

The Rino is one of several models, Elefante and Giraffe help to compliment and offers an option of moving to larger units. All these units come wit low pressure or high pressure options, automatic running and oscillation. Electric controls are fitted in stainless steel cabinets giving quality at below market prices.

Petrol/Diesel Sprayers

We are now able to offer several pieces of equipment to assist in bring down dust droplets while demotion is in progress. We can offer a small petrol driven or 110v electric driven 18 inch fan unit. Easily connected on site and one person can remove at night to stop theft.

Our mobile atomiser where we can set at the crusher or near to the area of demolition. Ideal for asbestos fibres.

Environmental Protection Act 1990 Odour and Dust Solutions

Smells produced from landfill sites, waste management site, waste water works and other industry sites are classed as nuisance by residents living within the vicinity. Once a resident has complaint to the local authority about this nuisance it then becomes the subject to inspection. And ongoing future inspection from time to time of the nuisance smell.

The above is true from site creating what is classed as nuisance dust. Sites including waste metal recycling, quarries, wood recycling and other industrial sites.

Where the local authority agree that a nuisance smell exists or is likely to happen again in the future then they will serve a notice. This notice will either restrict the nuisance smell or prohibit it from happening. This in turn may stop work on the landfill, waste management site, waste water works or other industry sites until measures are in place to deal with the odours. The legislation will normally specify a time scale for the notice to be adhered to and this can be a little as seven days.

“A person who commits an offence…on industrial, trade or business premises shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £20,000.” (Environmental Protection Act 1990).

“It shall be a defence to prove that the best practice means were used to prevent, or to counteract the effects of, the nuisance.” (Environmental Protection Act 1990).

Odour and Dust Solutions could help prevent your company from facing unnecessary fines. Our range of mobile and fixed atomisers and use of our neutraliser or fragranced neutralisers offer fast and reliable solutions to these nuisance smells. And atomiser, nozzles and foam products to solve the dust issues. We offer the best prices within the industry for rental and purchase of our atomisers and neutralising products.

We have mobile atomisers that or on trailers and have water bowsers and can be moved around sites to tackle problem areas. The mini misting system is easily moved around site also and uses concentrated neutraliser. We also offer a bespoke solution with fixed system and nozzle lines for use on land fill edges or hopper machines.

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 also covers nuisance flies. The female fly lays around 180 eggs that within 3-4 will be adult flies capable of reproducing and the cycle starts over. Unless waste is treated for fly control at source then it will remain an issue at waste sites. We offer a range of fly control products including knock down products and products to treat at larvae stage.
If you require any further information please give us a call on 01560 480822 or email enquiries to [email protected].

Odour and Dust Solutions Blog