Dust management has always been a crucial part of running a stone fabrication workshop, but following updated Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance for working with engineered stone, there is now even more focus around the controls fabricators should have in place to manage exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS).
Cutting, grinding and polishing stone releases a very fine dust into the air. Depending on the material being fabricated, this can contain respirable crystalline silica. The particles are so small, they’re often invisible to the naked eye. Breathing in RCS can cause serious, potentially life-threatening health conditions, including silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. The risk increases with exposure, and particularly high levels of exposure can cause serious lung damage in a relatively short period.
This update to Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) ST3A guidance looks to strictly review how fabricators are controlling dust at the source, including the use of on-tool water suppression when working with hand tools. It also highlights the importance of controlling not only the dust, but contaminated water mist, providing appropriate respiratory protection, regularly reviewing control measures, maintaining good housekeeping and providing mandatory health check ins for employees.
So, what is the best way to manage stone dust?
There isn’t a single solution – effective dust management in a stone fabrication workshop involves controlling dust at the point it is created, dealing with any dust that becomes airborne whether in a mist or not, protecting your team from breathing it in, and monitoring exposure to ensure the controls in place are working effectively.
The best dust management solution for a stone fabrication workshop is a layered approach that controls silica dust at source and prevents exposure. This typically combines water suppression, on-tool extraction, other suitable LEV such as water walls or dust scrubbers, RPE, dust monitoring, employee health checks, and effective housekeeping and regular maintenance of control systems.
Wet working and water suppression
HSE states that dry cutting has been declared unacceptable and water suppression confirmed as legal requirement. Working wet is one of the most effective ways of controlling stone dust, and can also leave a significantly better finish, whilst reducing the risk of burning and friction during fabrication. Supplying water directly to the point of cut or grinding point suppresses the dust as it is generated, significantly reducing the amount that becomes airborne.
Where handheld tools are being used, on-tool water suppression can provide control directly at the point where the dust is generated. It is important that water suppression systems are used correctly and maintained often.
On-tool extraction
Another important way of controlling dust at the source is Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV). LEV captures contaminated air close to the point where dust is being generated, before it can spread throughout the workshop. Depending on the process, this could include options such as on-tool extraction. There are many dust hand held tools that are compatible with dust shrouds and vacuum systems, to ensure that dust is being captured before it becomes airborne.
Controlling airborne dust
Even with good controls at source, there’s always dust in the air in a stone fabrication workshop. This is where solutions such as air filtration systems, Dust Blockers and water walls can form another layer of protection.
Can air filtration reduce silica dust in a stone workshop?
Air filtration systems in the factory can help capture airborne particulate that has escaped other controls, and they continuously filter the air within the environment.
Options such as the Dust Blocker are particularly useful in busy fabrication workshops, where several processes are happening at once.
Air filtration should not be viewed as an alternative for controlling dust where it is generated, but as an additional layer within your overall dust management system.
Are water walls effective in stone fabrication factories?
Water walls are often found in workshops, particularly around hand finishing stations. These are designed to draw contaminated air away from the operator towards a water curtain, helping capture airborne dust produced during fabrication.
The important part is to ensure that the system you implement is appropriate for the work being carried out. It is best to speak to a HSE executive to ensure you select the best options for your factory, to control silica dust.
With all LEV systems, you must check and change filters regularly to ensure there are no blockages.
What respiratory protection is suitable for stone fabrication?
Even with engineering controls in place, Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) is a vital part of dust management, and the last line of defence.
For maximum protection, RPE for the stone industry should typically be a TH3 certified PAPR system, with an APF of 40. These systems provide the wearer with a constant flow of clean air, reducing the inward leakage significantly.
Some good options in the stone industry are the Optrel Swiss Air mask, or the Skytec Sentinel PAPR. These systems are much more effective when working with silica dust, than relying on basic disposable masks.
If you’re unsure on how to understand the spec of PAPR systems, you can browse our guide for more detail on choosing a PAPR respirator for stone fabrication.
Why should stone fabricators monitor dust levels?
Once you have put measures in place to control and extract the dust, it vital to monitor your factory dust levels, to ensure your measures are effective.
RCS dust often can’t be seen, so a workshop that might look relatively clear, may have tiny particles that remain airborne. That’s why dust monitoring is such a useful addition to your dust management solution.
You can invest in real-time dust monitoring systems, such as Trolex, which is a device that reads the dust level in the air, and shows the current exposure in that environment.
Depending on your setup, Trolex provide wearable devices, or fixed monitors to measure the dust levels. These are vital in helping understand where and when dust levels increase in a factory, identify high risk areas, and assess whether changes can be made to processes for maximum dust control.
Rather than assuming that dust controls in place are working, being able to monitor dust levels gives you the real truth behind the difference any controls are making.
Don’t forget health checks
When employees are regularly exposed to RCS and there is a reasonable risk of conditions such as silicosis or COPD developing, suitable mandatory health checks for fabricators must be in place. Health checks are not a replacement for controlling exposure, but instead sit alongside your dust control measures to help identify early signs of disease.
Employers should seek advice from an occupational health professional to make sure the appropriate health surveillance programme is in place.
Ensure your housekeeping is effective
Good housekeeping plays a major role in controlling dust in a stone fabrication workshop.
You should provide a daily laundry service for your fabricators, to prevent any stone dust from leaving the factory, or entering employees cars or homes. This way, there is less chance of the dust spreading.
Never dry sweep stone dust
Dust or dried up sludge that has settled onto floors, machinery and other surfaces can easily become airborne again if not cleaned in the correct way. Sweeping simply disturbs settled dust, making it airborne again – instead, vacuuming dust using a H-Class vacuum, or using wet cleaning methods are much safer cleaning methods. Workstations and machinery should be cleaned regularly, with particular focus on areas where dust and slurry accumulate.
Keep your dust controls in good working order
Installing good dust management systems is a great start. Water suppression, extraction, filtration and LEV systems need to continue performing effectively every day.
Scheduling regular checks and maintenance into your workshop routine is important to ensure there is no downtime in managing dust.
Checking airflow, inspecting water feeds and nozzles, cleaning and replacing filters frequently and looking for damage, all affects overall performance.
LEV systems also generally have specific inspection and testing requirements, it’s a good idea to check with your supplier, to ensure you are maintaining any tools correctly.
What is the best dust management solution for a stone workshop?
There’s no one piece of equipment to solve every dust problem in the factory. The most effective approach is to implement several measures, in every process. To put simply:
From wet working to air filtration, water walls and respiratory protection and real-time dust monitoring, each control plays a part in keeping your factory safer.
At Stonegate, we work with fabricators every day to help them understand the risks in the factory and find the best solutions for their workshop. We understand that the updated guidance may be overwhelming, so if you’d like help to know where to begin with implementing dust management solutions in your factory – speak to our team, and we’ll visit your factory to discuss the options. We can recommend a reputable LEV consultant for you to work with, to assist and guide you with next steps in your factory. Alternatively, you can book a visit to our Innovation Hub to trial any of the solutions we offer, before you buy!
Get in touch on +44 (0) 1482 620400 or [email protected] for further information.
The most effective approach is to use multiple controls together. This can include wet working or water suppression at source, suitable LEV and air filtration, appropriate RPE, good housekeeping and regular dust monitoring.
Wet cutting and on-tool water suppression can significantly reduce the amount of dust generated, but they should form part of a wider dust management approach. Additional controls may be required depending on the material, process and level of exposure.
Not necessarily. RCS particles are extremely small and may remain airborne even when a workshop appears relatively clear. Dust monitoring can help fabricators understand exposure levels and identify higher-risk processes or areas.
Dry sweeping should be avoided because it can disturb settled dust and make it airborne again. Appropriate H-Class vacuum equipment or suitable wet cleaning methods should be used as part of workshop housekeeping procedures.
The appropriate RPE will depend on the task, exposure and other controls in place. Employers should select suitable respiratory protection based on their risk assessment and current HSE guidance, ensuring it is correctly fitted, used and maintained.
