Assessing risks from breathable substances at work can feel complicated. To help you get your head around it we're going to look at three case studies focusing on how they assessed risk and whether they could manage on their own or needed to call in the pros. We'll look at when workplace exposure standards, aka WES, were helpful in managing these risks.

First up, we're visiting a small mechanical workshop that repairs and services farm machinery in rural Canterbury. Kyle, one of the workers, says he's seen something online about welding fumes causing cancer. Charlotte, the owner, does a bit of research to check the level of risk from welding fumes. She grabs Kyle and together they go through what they currently do to manage these risks.

They work out that the welding only happens for about an hour a couple of times a month. They use a fit tested respirator. And do the work in a well-ventilated area away from other workers. Because of this, they decide the risk is very small and they don't need to make any changes to what they're doing.

In this instance, they didn't need to change their controls or get specialist advice. Charlotte makes a plan to review this regularly, as she knows that managing risk isn't a one-off task. It's an ongoing responsibility.

Our second example is a small building company in the central North Island. Some of the team are renovating a house clad with brick. They’re used to working on wooden houses, so the brick cutting is pretty new to them. They’ve been cutting the bricks for a while and at first it was going ok. but now it's clear the vacuum isn't keeping up with the dust.

Grant, the supervisor, knows the dust from cutting things like bricks, concrete, and stone shouldn't be breathed in, but he isn't sure how to improve what they're doing. After chatting with the team about options, he decides to look for advice on the WorkSafe website. He sees that they recommend wet cutting to keep the dust down. After a quick trip to the hire shop, the team set up water suppression and can immediately see the dust disappear. Seeing the dust disappear gave him confidence the new controls were working.

Our last example is a joinery workshop in the city. They've recently landed some pretty big jobs and have almost doubled production. Some workers have started coughing and wheezing during the week. Ari, the owner, isn't sure if the controls are keeping up with the increase in production. He looks up options on the WorkSafe website and talks with the team about what they could improve. But they’re stumped. They feel like they've done everything they can.

Ari decides he needs a professional and calls in an occupational hygienist. Rachel, the occupational hygienist, takes a good look around the workshop, checking how everything is working, including checking the ventilation system. She decides they need to measure the amount of wood dust workers are breathing by doing personal exposure monitoring. The results aren't good. The exposure levels are well above the WES for wood dust, which could mean there's an increased risk for respiratory illness and cancer. She's also spotted some problems with the controls they currently have in place.

She recommends replacing and straightening some of the pipes to make the ventilation system more efficient, and adding on-tool extraction for a couple of the high-risk jobs. She also recommends the workers have their respirators fit-tested while they wait for the new controls to be installed. Once the improvements are made, she takes new measurements. This time, the results are well below the WES levels. The business sees increased productivity from healthier and happier staff.

Each of these businesses followed the same basic process. They assessed the risk, including their team in the process, and decided if the controls were doing enough. If they needed to do more. Then they tried to fix the problem themselves, and if they were still unsure, they brought in a pro.

By understanding your risks and putting effective controls in place, you protect your workers, your business and yourself, making sure everyone goes home healthy and safe.

To learn more about managing health risks in your industry, visit worksafe.govt.nz

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