Impact Technical Services, the UKâs leader in dust, fume and mist extraction, appears to have made a lasting impact at last weekâs Manufacturing Technologies (MACH) event, pushing forward awareness of local exhaust ventilation (LEV) laws, as stipulated in the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations.
Since its establishment in 1989, Impact Technical Services has carried out thousands of site assessments across a great variety manufacturing sectors in UK with a view to protecting British workforces against unnecessary risks to their health. Working in partnership with GRAM, a Danish extraction and ventilation equipment supplier, the Leicester-based company is not only able to identify risks and advise on measures of protection but also procure those measures of protection via its supply chain.
It was the first time the company had attended the event, during which directors and engineers from the firm took questions on what makes an effective LEV system. It was during the informal sessions that it became clear that of the 17,500 manufacturing companies that attended the event, few had any knowledge of the LEV legislation and those that did, had very limited understanding of its accompanying obligations and actions.
LEV legislation is designed to safeguard the occupational health of employees against harmful fumes or dust. In the manufacturing and engineering sector, there are of course a number of opportunities at which operatives are exposed to potentially lethal gases and materials and such a discovery by Impact Technical Service is somewhat alarming and draws attention to a significant gap in knowledge through the industry.
Tony Bosworth, Operations Director at Impact Technical Services describes being shocked at the revelation, particularly in light of the fines in place for those found to be non-compliant (between £1,000-£25000). The company remained at the event for all five days and provided helpful advice and support to businesses from a variety of sectors on how to secure and maintain compliance. Attendees were provided the added bonus of being invited to take advantage of Impact Technical Servicesâ free workplace extraction assessment to ensure best practice risk management is in place.
There is, as such, little place for excuses and, business ought to take heed of Impact Technical Servicesâ stern words.
