Visitors, clients and delivery drivers are not trained for site dust hazards. Your controls must protect them without relying on PPE. A clear plan for routes, timing and containment keeps risk low and avoids disruption.

Plan the visit

• Schedule visits outside of dusty activities where possible.
• Define clean routes on the layout and avoid live work zones and voids.
• Give a short briefing on no-go areas and what to do if visibility drops or alarms sound.

Contain and control the environment

• Use dustbarriers to segregate live work and maintain closed doors where possible.
• Run an air scrubber or negative air unit in adjacent spaces to pull air away from public routes.
• Vacuum surfaces before and after the visit; never dry sweep.

Signage, escorts and checks

• Signpost clean routes clearly and escort visitors through any grey areas.
• Verify conditions with a quick PM check; pause a tour if readings rise or smells/sightlines worsen.

When PPE is appropriate

Design controls so visitors should not need RPE. If unavoidable, issue simple, suitable PPE and keep time in the area short, recognising that tight-fitting masks require fit-testing and are often impractical for visitors.

Practical takeaways

• Separate people from dust with barriers, doors and airflow.
• Keep routes clean using vacuum-only housekeeping.
• Use monitoring to confirm conditions are acceptable before entry.
• Avoid relying on visitor PPE; shorten exposure time if RPE must be used.

Good segregation and simple verification protect visitors without slowing the job. This approach also improves general dust control for your workforce.