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Dust risks in hospitals

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When it comes to hazardous substances in healthcare environments, it can be easy to overlook the risk that dusts can pose.

Although they can look innocuous, according to NHS Resolution, dust is among the highest occurring hazards in healthcare settings.(1)

In fact, dust and fumes accounted for 37.5% of the settled claims made between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2023 by healthcare support staff, including plaster technicians and nursing assistants.

Dusts also accounted for 25% of settled claims made during the same period by nurses who are members of the Nursing and Midwifery Council; and for 32% of settled claims overall.

Where do dust risks in hospitals come from?

Dust can come from a variety of sources in hospitals. It can come into hospital buildings from construction, demolition or refurbishment work.

Not only can this lead to respiratory problems due to microscopic particulate, dust can also transport airborne bacteria, leading to lung infections.

Dust is also a natural by-product of prosthetics manufacture, when it is generated during the sanding, grinding, and machining of materials. Likewise, there is a risk from dust when Plaster of Paris or other types of splinting bandages are removed with an oscillating saw.

For this reason, staff working in prosthetic centres, orthotics laboratories and plaster clinics are also at risk of developing respiratory infections from dust.

Monitoring dust exposure in fracture clinic plaster rooms and orthotics laboratories

At Cairn Technology, we have extensive experience in carrying out dust exposure monitoring in fracture clinic plaster rooms and orthotics laboratories.

By measuring your staff’s exposure to total inhalable and respirable dust, we can check levels of these dusts in line with the methods outlined in the HSE Publications MDHS 14/3.

This process simply involves asking delegated members of staff to clip a small filter to clothing which is connected to a sample pump clipped to their waist band. Sampling is carried out during their normal duties.

We then provide you with a report which will show you whether your staff are working within safe exposure limits or if there is any need for improvement.

To ensure continued compliance with Regulation 10 of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations 2002 (as amended), we recommend that this dust monitoring procedure is carried out once a year.

To discuss our monitoring service for dust risks in hospitals for your hospital or prosthetics centre, or to get a quote, please call us on 0333 015 4345.

 

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Keeping staff safe from inhalable and respirable dust

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Dust monitoring in fracture clinicsIf you manage a fracture clinic plaster room or orthotics laboratory, it is important to ensure that your staff are protected against the risks of inhalable and respirable dust.

This was underlined again only this month in an HSE eBulletin, which revealed that the Health and Safety Executive had recently fined a stone worktop manufacturer £60,000 and a wood supplier £40,000 for failing to protect workers from harmful dust exposure.

Plaster of Paris dust generated in plaster rooms and orthotics laboratories can lead to short-term and long-term respiratory problems.

So, it is vital that employers provide proper ventilation systems, appropriate respiratory protection, and carry out regular health surveillance to protect their workers.

Inhalable and respirable dust monitoring

We carry out workplace exposure monitoring in fracture clinic plaster rooms and orthotics laboratories to measure staff exposure to total inhalable and respirable dust.

Levels of these dusts need to be measured in accordance with the methods outlined in the HSE Publications MDHS 14/3.

Monitoring for workplace exposure to respirable and inhalable dust.To ensure that this is done, we equip each member of staff with personal sampling pumps and monitor their exposure to dust during a normal working period.

We then provide you with a report which details the staff exposure levels and outlines whether there are any causes for concern.

We recommend that this inhalable and respirable dust monitoring procedure should be carried out every 12 months to ensure continued compliance with Regulation 10 of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations 2002 (as amended).

To discuss our inhalable and respirable dust monitoring service or get a quote, please call us on 0333 015 4345 or email info@cairntechnology.com

What about staff exposure to Diisocyanates?

We can also help measure your staff’s exposure for Diisocyanates through our Biological Sampling service.

Diisocyanates are now used more frequently in fracture clinics because of the move away from Plaster of Paris towards synthetic products. They are also being used more widely in prosthetic laboratories where the use of resins is becoming more commonplace.

They are highly reactive substances which are potent respiratory and skin sensitizers and a common cause of asthma and allergic contact dermatitis.

The increase in Diisocyanate usage, along with the British Orthopaedic Association’s adoption of worker training guidance from the EU, has highlighted the importance of monitoring staff exposure.​

We recommend that sampling should be carried out every 12 months to ensure continued compliance with Regulation 10 of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations 2002 (as amended).

If you are unsure whether or not your department is using products that contain Diisocyanates, our team can establish this on your behalf from the product material data sheets.

To discuss our Diisocyanate biological sampling service or get a quote, please call us on 0333 015 4345 or email us at info@cairntechnology.com