New shocking statistics have been released by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) which is working on a initiative with BOHS (The Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection) called ‘Breathe Freely’, to raise awareness of the deadly risks present to workers in the manufacturing industry. Out of the 190,000 workers who carry out welding activities each year, 150 of them die from cancer caused by welding. Other statistics released are equally concerning, such as 2,200 annual deaths from cancer caused by past work in manufacturing industries and 4,000 people suffering from breathing and lung problems caused or made worse by their work in manufacturing.
It is alarming that we are still seeing statistics that prove business owners are not doing enough to ensure its workforce is protected from the processes that are undertaken in order to produce the goods they sell. Worryingly, regular news of hefty fines costing businesses hundreds of thousands of pounds does not seem to be enough of a deterrent to make companies take the necessary action to protect its people.
In support of the campaign, Impact Technical Services is offering a FREE site assessment to all companies within the manufacturing industry, in which the working environment will be assessed and suggestions made to include or improve local exhaust ventilation (LEV). The company’s efficient and effective solutions suit a wide range of budgets and scenarios, to ensure that LEV solutions are available to businesses of all sizes and turnover.
Tony Bosworth, operations director of Impact Technical Services, commented:
“We visit many different workplaces, all over the UK, and less than half of them have adequate extraction systems in place to protect their staff from the harmful dust or fumes created by the processes in which they work. We have seen some systems that haven’t been installed properly, therefore not working effectively, systems that haven’t been tested in years, and even workplaces that have no extraction in place whatsoever creating an extremely dangerous working environment. Simple measures can be taken to ensure staff are protected and such measures cost a lot less than the fines employers could be issued with.
“This is why we see it so important to offer businesses a free site assessment. We will look at their current methods of dust and fume extraction and assess whether they are effective and efficient enough to actually protect workers. We will also make suggestions on different methods of effective extraction to suit all budgets, to ensure staff are protected in all cases.”
Impact has over 25 years of experience providing solutions to many processes within the manufacturing industry such as welding, grinding, sanding, casting, moulding, plating and many more. The company is armed with the necessary qualifications and skills to offer the most effective solutions with a competitive after care service.
Impact’s simple to install solutions, such as Downdraught Benches, Wide Pivotal Extraction Hoods and Extraction Arms, all provide extraction of harmful dusts and fumes and are cost effective (especially compared to the fines you may face if you don’t protect your workforce!). Impact also provides all dust and fume extraction services such as LEV testing, system design, installation and maintenance, air quality testing, fan servicing, and much more.
The HSE makes random unannounced visits to businesses every day to ensure adequate protection is in place and working effectively. Do not get caught out. Protect your staff.
