Respiratory protection required to protect against workplace exposure

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has amended the workplace exposure limits (WELs) documentation.

The guidance, which was first published in 2005, contains a list of workplace exposure limits for use with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002.

Changes to the WELs were made in both 2007 and 2011 and this new document covers those changes.

The HSE says: "Many people are exposed to a variety of substances at work e.g. chemicals, fumes, dusts etc., which can have a harmful effect on their health... if exposure to these hazardous substances is not properly controlled."

One way for companies to protect their employees from airborne irritants is by providing them with appropriate respiratory protection.

A common health issue caused by dangerous particles in the air is asthma.

The HSE says that every year around 1,500 to 3,000 people develop occupational asthma in the UK, rising to 7,000 if work-aggravated cases are included.

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