Occupational Hygiene

HSE – Welding Fume – Changes in Enforcement

In February 2019 HSE released a Press Note which advised of the new health warning status of welding fume.  The main points made were:- New scientific evidence that exposure to all welding fume, including mild steel welding fume, can cause …

HSE Guide A9 – “Drilling Holes in Asbestos Cement”

This HSE Guidance Sheet A9, published in 2017 describes good practice when you need to drill holes in asbestos cement, bitumen products, floor tiles or other highlybonded materials containing asbestos. Download PDF Copy  

HSE CoSHH Essentials : Control Banding

CoSHH Essentials: “Controlling Exposure to Chemicals – a Simple Control Banding Approach” Occupational hygienists and others colleagues use this CoSHH essentials control banding approach to identify suitable options for mitigating risks from substances hazardous to health. This approach is particularly …

HSE INDG 346 “Chromium and You”

This HSE guide on working with Chromium was last updated in 2013. The guide discusses working with chromium and its inorganic compounds and how exposure may affect your health. This leaflet tells you about the possible health effects, the preventative measures …

HSE: Sinonasal Cancer; RR933

First published by HSE in 2012 as a Research Report.  It looks at the current burden of sinonasal cancer in the UK where exposure to certain substances in some industries pose a heightened risk. Formaldehyde, wood dust, leather dust (work …

UKLA/HSE Guide “Safe Handling & Disposal of Metal Working Fluids”

Joint publication by UKLA and HSE  provides guidance about maintaining water-mix MWF to prevent ill health in machine workshops. It is well known that skin disease (dermatitis) and lung disease (occupational asthma and occupational hypersensitivity pneumonitis) can occur in operators, …

HSE MDHS95/3 “Measurement of Personal Exposure to Metal Working Fluids”

This HSE approved method describes a procedure for the measurement of time-weighted (TWA) average concentrations of water-mix metalworking fluid originating from metalworking machine operations. The method is only suitable when the machine sump fluid (liquid circulating in the machine) contains …

HSE INDG365 “Working Safely with Metal Working Fluids”

This HSE Guidance leaflet aims to help employees who work with metalworking fluids understand the main risks to their health. It contains general advice on the precautions which they and their employers can take to avoid these risks. Full leaflet can …

HSE RR900 “Visualisation & Control of Solder Fume Exposure”

The full title of this HSE research Report is in fact “Visualisation & Control of Solder Fume Exposure – a Quantitative Assessment of LEV Effectiveness”. Published in 2011 by HSE, the document was prepared by HSL. From the introduction to …

Video – “How to Measure Captor Hood Control Distance?”

Latest OXYL8 LEV training video (Sept 17) on YouTube discusses the ways in which we can approach the verification of the Control Distance of a particular Captor Hood. More usually we use smoke release on the centreline out from the …