Dust



Workplace dust causes many serious health problems, including cancers of the lungs, throat and nose and other lung conditions called Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It can also cause asthma, rhinitis and heart disease and if allowed to build up, can result in an explosion hazard. The TUC publication Time to Change Health and Safety bulletin — Dust explains that dust in the workplace is not just a nuisance; it can also be a killer, and is in fact the biggest cause of work-related death.



The factsheet looks at what the law says about dust in the workplace, why the limits for inhalable and respirable dust are too high, and why the COSHH regulations need to be properly enforced.


Total inhalable dust is the fraction of airborne material which enters the nose and mouth during breathing and is therefore available for deposition anywhere in the respiratory tract. Respirable dust is the fraction that penetrates to the deep lung.


The TUC argues that the current regulations are failing to protect workers, and that the standards used for assessing workplace dust exposure are totally inadequate. It argues that there is clear scientific evidence that the current limits for inhalable and respirable dust of 10mg/m³ and 4mg/m³ respectively should be much lower. It says there should be a precautionary standard of 2.5mg/m³ instead of 10mg/m³, and 1mg/m³ instead of 4mg/m³.