This year, World Lung Day has a theme of ‘care for your lungs’ and keep them healthy.  

Certain dusts, fumes, vapours and gases can cause a range of life-changing, occupational diseases. Silicosis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer can all be caused by breathing in hazardous substances at work, often these are incurable health conditions.  

It is important to understand what measures can be put in place to control workers’ exposure to these risks and how they can keep their lungs healthy. Protecting workers from the risk of lung disease is a legal duty of the employer.  

Workers should be protected from exposure with the avoidance of using hazardous substances. If it is necessary to use hazardous substances or contact is going to be made, the process should be modified to reduce the exposure and engineering controls, such as Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) should be put into place.  

If these precautions are taken and the exposure is not adequate, then Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) should be used as an additional measure to control the remaining risk.  

Did you know that: 

• if you supply a mask, the operator must be Fit Tested. 
• you can’t wear a face fitting mask if you have a beard or stubble 
• people exposed to substances should have Occupational Health checks 
• COSHH records and Occupational Health check records must be kept for 40 years 

For further information and guidance regarding the above, please do get in touch with one of the team on info@ensuresafetytraining.co.uk or call 01270 619 584