CLEAPSS Guidance - The Small Print

Over the past few years, the Health and Safety Inspectorate (HSE) has developed its work in inspecting and reporting on health.


Breathing is one of the areas on which HSE focuses and something that we, at CLEAPSS, take very seriously. 


Over the past year we have done a lot of work on wood dust control, fumes and particulates from 3D printers, and continue to work on systems for monitoring air quality. 


We still get quite a few queries from schools regarding the type of vacuum cleaner they need to use to clear up dust in school workshops. 


There is lots of reference to managing harmful dust across many guides and advice sheets, by both HSE and ourselves:

Where dust is considered a risk to those nearby, it must be controlled. It is known that brushing dust can cause it to rise into the air, which creates a significant risk that it will enter the breathing spaces for those nearby, and they could then breathe it in. 


A much better way to control the dust is to use a HEPA M rated vacuum cleaner. HEPA used to be a single standard, but now is subdivided into, H (high), M (medium) and L (low). H standard is typically used in high-risk areas, such as industrial plant and hospital theatres, M is the standard use in building areas and workshops, L is suitable for general domestic and retail.


The vacuum cleaner we have is a Festool Cleantec CTM: Festool Mobile dust extractor CTM 26 E 230V CLEANTEC online There are many others on the market, but you need to ensure that the machine is HEPA M rated.

There are lots of other vacuum cleaners which we see in schools: 

VTuff: V-TUF M-Class MINI H13 HEPA Dust Extraction Vacuum Cleaner (230V) - Machine Mart - Machine Mart 

Trend: TREND T33A M-CLASS 1200W Wet & Dry Site Dust Extractor (230V) - Machine Mart - Machine Mart 

...but whatever type you go for, make sure it carries the M rating sticker.


We have not yet been able to find a small, handheld vacuum that is HEPA M rated.

Metalworking fluids


HSE recently stated that it will , until March 2024, be inspecting manufacturing businesses that use metalworking fluids or ‘white water’ in their machining processes. It will also be checking on whether employers have suitable health surveillance practices in place for those using metalworking fluids, because exposure to metalworking fluids can cause harm to lungs and skin.


There is clear guidance on the website regarding metalworking fluids:

In most situations in schools, it would be unlikely that staff or pupils would need to have health surveillance, as schools do not tend to generate enough dust or fumes, However, any employee using metalworking fluid should have access to health surveillance as it aims to detect any symptoms of ill health caused by work as early as possible. 

Not providing regular health surveillance is one of the common reasons that manufacturing companies fail to demonstrate compliance with COSHH regulations, particularly smaller companies.


Where there is exposure to fluid or mist from metalworking fluids, it is a legal requirement to carry out health surveillance even when preventative controls, such as fluid quality checks and local exhaust ventilation (LEV), are in place.


Two key control measures when working with metalworking fluids are: 

LEV should be fitted to machines (including CNC machines) where operators are exposed to metalworking fluid mist. It is the key control measure to reduce inhalation exposure. 

Water-mix metalworking fluid deteriorates over time and can become contaminated with harmful bacteria and other contaminants. Monitoring and maintaining fluid quality is key to controlling risk.


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If you are interested in contributing to Futureminds, please get in touch: mailto:dt@cleapss.org.uk 

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