Energy and power sites blend heavy civil works, fuel handling, and maintenance activities that generate varied dusts: silica from concrete, metal and welding fume, and combustible dust from biomass or residues. Effective control reduces health risks, contamination, and fire or explosion hazards.

Map risks by process and zone

Identify tasks and materials, airflow paths, and sensitive equipment rooms. Separate hot work, fuel handling, and civil areas. Plan controls for maintenance outages when tasks cluster and time is tight.

Capture at source

• Fit local exhaust ventilation (LEV) to fixed plant and workstations; maintain hoods and ducting.
• Use shrouded tools with extraction for cutting and grinding; opt for water suppression on concrete where appropriate.
• Apply high-reach extraction for overhead cleaning; avoid disturbing settled dust with brushes or air.
• Use welding fume extraction arms close to the arc and position them with airflow in mind.

Control airborne dust

Use air cleaners or negative air machines to pull contaminants away from personnel and critical equipment. Select filtration to suit the hazard; H14 is appropriate where fine or carcinogenic respirable dusts are present. Verify airflow under load and maintain a clear make-up air path.

Housekeeping and maintenance windows

• Adopt vacuum-first cleaning; avoid sweeping and compressed air, especially around combustible dust.
• Schedule progressive cleaning during outages to prevent large accumulations.
• Bag and remove waste promptly; keep lids on containers and skips.
• Inspect filters, seals, and ducting routinely; document fixes before restart.

Practical takeaways

• Risk-map by task and zone; prioritise high-hazard areas.
• Use LEV and shrouded tools; add water suppression where suitable.
• Deploy air control with appropriate filtration; maintain airflow paths.
• Clean with vacuums only and clear waste promptly.
• Record maintenance to demonstrate COSHH control.

Combining source capture, managed airflow, and disciplined housekeeping delivers safer working conditions and supports COSHH compliance across complex sites.