Safety briefing - dust

This briefing provides essential information to staff exposed to dust at work.

What’s covered?

The aim of this Safety Briefing - Dust is to ensure that workers understand the long-term health risks of working in dusty environments and how to reduce these risks.

Reasons for concern

As the briefing explains, wood, silica, asbestos and general dusts are linked with various chronic diseases including cancers.

Control measures

Control measures include actions to reduce the amount of dust which is put into the air, e.g. low dust methods and use of extraction. The requirements for correct use of respiratory protection including obtaining a face-fit test are also covered.

Key points

The key points at the end of the briefing remind staff of the hazards of dust exposure and the need to take personal responsibility for their health. They are reminded of some critical advice from the previous section regarding cleaning up dust with a vacuum cleaner (not by sweeping) and making use of the safety equipment provided to protect themselves and others.