Carcinogenic dusts such as respirable crystalline silica (RCS), asbestos, and certain hardwood dusts are common on UK sites. They damage lungs over time and raise cancer risk. The fix is practical: plan the task, control the dust at source, and verify that exposures stay low.

Know the materials and tasks

Identify where dust will come from: cutting or drilling concrete, chasing blockwork, sanding hardwood, or disturbing insulation boards. If asbestos is suspected, stop work, arrange a survey, and follow HSE requirements. Removal must only be carried out by trained personnel, with licensing where required.

Apply the three-layer control model

1) Capture at source

• Use water suppression on saws and drills; keep flow steady without flooding.
• Fit tool-mounted extraction; pick extraction rated for fine dust with adequate airflow under load.
• Reduce cut depth, slow feed rate, or pre-cut off-site to minimise dust generation.

2) Capture in the air

• Run air scrubbers or negative air units to create directional airflow away from workers.
• Use high-efficiency filtration; for respirable and carcinogenic dusts, H14 final filtration is appropriate.
• Size units to the volume and leakage of the space, not just the free-air rating. Position inlets close to the dust source.

In practice, an air scrubber such as a MAXVAC unit with H14 filtration can help stabilise background levels during chasing or grinding.

3) Capture on surfaces

• Vacuum rather than sweep. Use industrial vacuums with sealed bins and high-efficiency filtration.
• Adopt a clean-as-you-go routine: vacuum between passes and before breaks to prevent re-agitation.
• Bag waste carefully and damp down debris to avoid secondary dust.

Verification and behaviours

• If you can see airborne dust, controls are likely inadequate. Pause, improve source capture, and re-start.
• Use a particulate monitor to spot peaks; move or add extraction accordingly.
• Ensure RPE is worn where controls cannot guarantee exposures under WELs (e.g., RCS 0.1 mg/m³ 8-hr TWA).

Practical takeaways

• Plan around the material: confirm asbestos status before any disturbance.
• Combine tool extraction, air cleaning (H14), and vacuum housekeeping; never rely on one measure.
• Position equipment for airflow under load and verify with quick PM readings.
• Train teams to avoid sweeping and to maintain filters and seals.

Well-planned, layered controls reduce risk, keep productivity steady, and cut rework from dust-related damage.