Dust is not only a health risk; it quietly erodes productivity. It blunts tools, slows installations, triggers rework and increases absence. Tackle it deliberately and you gain cleaner air, faster programmes and fewer complaints. Here is how to turn dust control into measurable output.

How dust drains productivity

• Visibility drops and layout marks vanish, causing errors and rework.
• Sensors, fixings and adhesive surfaces fail when dust settles.
• Workers tire faster in poor air, increasing breaks and mistakes.
• Clean-downs at handover expand if dust is allowed to roam.

Plan controls around the task

• Schedule dust-heavy work in defined windows. Seal zones and create negative pressure to stop migration.
• Use capture at source: LEV on grinders and cutters, water suppression where feasible, and slower passes to reduce plume size.
• Air control: position scrubbers to pull air across the workface, not past workers. Aim for sufficient air changes and check airflow under load.
• Housekeeping: short, frequent vacuum rounds with H-class machines prevent build-up. Never sweep or use compressed air.
• Material handling: use pre-bagged mixes, mixing stations with extraction, and closed chutes for debris.

Keep downtime off the critical path

• Hold spare prefilters and bags to avoid stoppages from filter loading.
• Assign roles for daily checks: capture tools, scrubber placement, filter condition, and waste sealing.
• Track air with a simple PM meter; record readings and note control changes.

Compliance context

COSHH requires preventing or controlling exposure. For reference, RCS has a WEL of 0.1 mg/m³; hardwood dust and welding fume also demand high-efficiency controls. Documentation of controls and maintenance supports compliance and claims.

Many contractors now standardise on industrial vacuums and portable air scrubbers from established providers such as MAXVAC to keep productivity and air quality stable across sites.

Practical takeaways

• Design dust control into the programme, not after the fact.
• Use the three-layer method and verify with simple PM logs.
• Maintain filters and keep spares to avoid unplanned stoppages.
• Seal waste and maintain negative pressure to protect clean zones.

Dust control is operational discipline. Plan it, measure it and maintain it, and you will see fewer delays, cleaner handovers and healthier teams.