HSE CoSHH Essentials – Foundries

Task-Specific Guidance for Controlling Dust and Fume Exposure in Foundries

LEVCentral Expert Commentary

Foundries present some of the most demanding occupational hygiene challenges found in manufacturing. Workers may be exposed to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) from moulding sands, metal fumes from melting and casting operations, dust generated during fettling and abrasive blasting, together with a variety of hazardous substances associated with coatings, binders and investment casting materials.

To help employers comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, HSE has developed the Foundry (FD) Series of COSHH Essentials guidance sheets. Rather than providing general advice, the series breaks foundry work into individual tasks and explains the practical engineering controls, Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV), housekeeping, respiratory protection and management arrangements expected for each activity.

For LEV professionals, the FD Series is particularly valuable because it demonstrates that different foundry operations require different engineering solutions. The controls required for a melting furnace differ significantly from those needed during fettling, abrasive blasting or pattern assembly. The guidance therefore reinforces one of the fundamental principles of LEV design:

Understand the process before selecting the engineering control.

View HSE Foundry Guide Series

View the HSE Foundry (FD) Series

Individual Guidance Sheets in the FD Series

The Foundry Series currently comprises the following guidance sheets:

Guidance Sheet	Topic
FD0	Advice for Managers
FD2	Molten Metal Fume – Melting
FD3	Molten Metal Fume – Pouring and Casting
FD4	Sand Plant
FD5	Coremaking and Shell Moulding (Small Scale)
FD6	Knock-out, Shakeout and Similar Operations
FD7	Fettling Small Castings
FD9	Abrasive Blasting Small Castings in a Cabinet
FD11	Pattern Assembly (Investment Casting)
FD12	Spray Coating a Large Casting (Open Workshop)
FD14	Furnace Relining

Each sheet concentrates on one specific activity, making it straightforward to link the hazards associated with that process to the appropriate engineering controls and safe working practices recommended by HSE.

Key Learning Points

The guidance explains:

The health risks associated with respirable crystalline silica (RCS).
Exposure to molten metal fumes.
Control of dust during sand preparation and handling.
Engineering controls for fettling operations.
Abrasive blasting controls.
Pattern assembly and investment casting hazards.
Spray coating of castings.
Furnace relining and refractory dust.
Selection and application of Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV).
Appropriate use of Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE).
Good housekeeping and cleaning methods.
Maintenance of engineering controls.
Health surveillance and management responsibilities.

Source Document Information

Organisation: Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

Document: COSHH Essentials – Foundries (FD Series)

Document Type: COSHH Essentials Direct Advice Sheets

Primary Topics: Foundries, Respirable Crystalline Silica, Metal Fume, LEV, COSHH, Occupational Hygiene

Audience: Foundry Managers, LEV Designers, Occupational Hygienists, Health & Safety Professionals, Production Supervisors, Maintenance Engineers and Duty Holders.

LEVCentral Perspective

The Foundry Series illustrates perfectly why occupational hygiene should be task-based rather than industry-based.

Although grouped together under the heading of “foundry work”, the individual processes vary enormously. Sand handling produces respirable crystalline silica, melting generates metal fumes, fettling creates dust and abrasive blasting presents entirely different exposure characteristics. Each therefore requires its own combination of engineering controls.

For LEV designers, the series demonstrates another important lesson: one extraction system rarely suits every operation. Effective source capture depends upon understanding where contaminants are generated, how they behave and how operators interact with the process.

The FD Series also reflects the philosophy developed throughout LEVCentral and the OXYL8 Defensible Commissioning Framework™. Effective control is achieved not by installing extraction equipment alone, but by combining competent design, commissioning, maintenance, housekeeping, supervision and health surveillance into a complete assurance system.

Further Resources

Recommended Learning

Thought Leadership

Foundries are among the most technically demanding workplaces in which to design effective LEV. Heat, dust, fumes, abrasive processes and complex production methods combine to create multiple airborne hazards that cannot be controlled by a single generic ventilation solution.

The HSE Foundry Series demonstrates the value of analysing work task by task and selecting engineering controls appropriate to each activity.

This process-based approach is equally applicable across many other industries and reflects a fundamental principle of good occupational hygiene: successful LEV design begins with understanding the source of the contaminant, not the extraction equipment.

Used alongside HSG258 and a suitable COSHH risk assessment, the FD Series provides an excellent practical framework for achieving effective and defensible control of airborne hazards within foundry environments.