Dust Monitoring Case Studies
Resources · Resources overview
Anonymised dust monitoring case studies drawn from typical UK workplace situations. Each summary describes the issue presented, the assessment approach normally taken, and the kinds of improvement themes that emerge — without identifying specific sites, companies or individuals. They are intended as illustrative reference material, not verified client projects.
How these summaries are written
The case studies on this page are anonymised composites built from patterns commonly seen in UK dust exposure work. Names, locations, exact measurements and individual results are deliberately omitted. The aim is to show the shape of a typical investigation — the question being asked, the methodology used and the kinds of improvements that follow — rather than to present marketing claims.
Where you need a fully scoped assessment of your own site, the right next step is direct discussion of materials, processes and existing controls. The summaries below give a feel for how those discussions typically unfold.
Woodworking dust assessment — joinery workshop
Issue. A medium-sized joinery workshop with established dust extraction sought reassurance that exposure across machinists, finishers and assemblers remained within the wood-dust WELs in HSE EH40, following a change in product mix toward more hardwood and MDF work.
Approach. Similar exposure groups were defined for the main job roles, and personal inhalable dust sampling was carried out under HSE MDHS 14/4 across representative shifts. Real-time PM monitoring mapped concentrations at sanding benches, CNC stations and the bagging room. Existing LEV arrangements were walked through against HSE HSG258 principles.
Improvement themes. Higher-throughput sanding operations had moved beyond the design capacity of the original extraction; flexible hose runs had degraded over time; and housekeeping continued to rely partly on compressed air. The improvement plan combined upgraded capture at the dominant sanders, HEPA-vacuum-based housekeeping and tightened RPE use for residual peak tasks, followed by re-monitoring to verify exposure reduction.
Manufacturing particulate monitoring — powder handling line
Issue. A manufacturing site running a powder-handling line wanted to understand whether weighing, bag tipping and blending operations were keeping operators below substance-specific WELs, and to identify which tasks contributed most to daily exposure.
Approach. Personal gravimetric sampling against the relevant substance-specific WEL was combined with task-based PM2.5 and PM10 mapping at the dispensing booth, mix vessel charge hatch and packaging area. LEV performance at each station was checked qualitatively with dust-lamp visualisation alongside airflow measurement.
Improvement themes. The largest task contributions came from open bag splits and from a charging hatch served by general ventilation rather than dedicated extraction. The plan focused on closed-transfer modifications at high-emission steps, re-balancing of the existing LEV branches, and a tightened RPE programme during defined non-routine operations.
Cement and plaster dust review — refurbishment contractor
Issue. A refurbishment contractor working across multiple UK sites needed a position on respirable crystalline silica exposure during cement and plaster removal, mixing and finishing tasks, and asked for a structured review of its workforce-wide controls.
Approach. Tasks were categorised by their dust-generating potential, with respirable dust and respirable crystalline silica sampling prioritised against the relevant EH40 WELs. On-tool extraction and water suppression were reviewed during representative tasks, and the RPE programme — including face-fit testing records — was audited.
Improvement themes. Recurring gaps included inconsistent use of on-tool extraction for cutting, reliance on dry sweeping for cement clean-up and an RPE programme without consistent fit-test records. The plan standardised on-tool extraction specifications, replaced dry sweeping with HEPA vacuuming, and tightened pre-task checks for RPE.
Fibre and PM monitoring investigation — high-temperature plant
Issue. A high-temperature processing plant scheduled refractory maintenance involving disturbance of aged ceramic-fibre insulation and sought a combined assessment covering airborne fibre exposure, respirable crystalline silica from cristobalite formation and general particulate background.
Approach. Personal fibre sampling followed HSE MDHS 59 with phase contrast optical microscopy and confirmation by SEM-EDX where speciation was needed. Respirable crystalline silica sampling under MDHS 14/4 ran in parallel, and PM monitoring mapped background concentrations across adjacent work areas during and outside disturbance windows.
Improvement themes. The combined picture showed peaks were concentrated in defined removal windows rather than spread across the shift. The plan tightened sealed-area containment around removal work, formalised waste handling, and standardised powered RPE selection for the highest-exposure tasks, with re-measurement after the next scheduled outage.
Reading these case studies
Common threads across these summaries are worth noting. Most uncovered gaps are not single dramatic failures; they are accumulated drift — hoses that have softened, branches that have been added without rebalancing, housekeeping that has gradually relied more on sweeping than vacuuming, RPE programmes that have lost their fit-test discipline. Structured assessment turns that drift into a prioritised, defensible plan.
If you would like to discuss how a similar assessment would be structured for your own workplace, contact us at info@dustexposure.co.uk or 0800 433 7914.
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