Occupational Hygiene

News

Reducing the risk of Occupational Lung Disease

Jul. 28 2021

Figures from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) show that around 12,000 people died in the UK last year from lung diseases estimated to be linked to past exposure at work.

Employers have a legal duty to protect the respiratory health of their workers and Bureau Veritas offers a dedicated occupational health team, working with organisations to assist in safeguarding employee wellbeing and maintain compliance.

Are you managing your obligations with effective control measures?

Understanding the risks

Breathing in certain dust, gases, vapours and fumes at work can cause life-changing lung disease including asbestosis, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, emphysema and lung cancer.

Employers have a number of obligations under workplace health & safety regulations and our services help to recognise, evaluate and control potential hazards. Working as an independent, third party consultant, we work in partnership with clients to manage the increasingly complex occupational hygiene requirements across their business.

Our services help to achieve and maintain compliance with all relevant regulations, demonstrate your commitment to the health & safety of employees and gain complete peace of mind from a trusted, independent compliance partner. All with an experienced network of occupational hygiene consultants operating nationwide.

Our expert, independent occupational hygiene services including:

  • Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) - workplace risk assessments, mechanical inspections of all types of LEV equipment and training for employees to reduce the risk of exposure to harmful dust
  • Flour dust and silica dust – a range of services including workplace risk inspections, mechanical inspections of LEV equipment and training to reduce the risk of inhaling flour dust (particularly for mill and bakery workers) and silica dust (in construction and mining industries)
  • Welding – including workplace risk assessments, mechanical inspections, noise and vibration services, fire risk assessments and electrical testing and inspection
  • Diacetyl – mitigating the health risks of diacetyl inhalation once it has been heated during manufacturing processes through workplace risk inspections, mechanical inspections of LEV equipment and training

Joe Marais, occupational hygiene team leader at Bureau Veritas, said: “These latest figures from HSE show the importance of taking measures to identify and control the risk of exposure in the workplace. These are important steps, set out in workplace health and safety regulations, but occupational hygiene goes beyond simple compliance.

“By taking steps to assess and mitigate the risk to health and wellbeing of their employees, businesses can improve productivity, reduce workplace absence and demonstrate their commitment to safety – all vitally important as businesses seek to drive competitive advantage in the post COVID-19 era.”

Find out more

For more information on occupational hygiene services from Bureau Veritas, or to contact our team to discuss your individual requirements, click here.