Manufacturing and engineering industries have traditionally had a reputation for being inherently ‘dirty’, primarily due to the fact that pollutants are a natural by-product of the processes involved. Operations including grinding, cutting, milling, turning and parts washing can all create oil mist, steam or fume.
Whilst larger particles such as dust enter the nose and mouth, finer particles such as oil mist and oil smoke pass through human ‘filters’ and travel into the respiratory system and/or the bloodstream. And, with particles from some modern machines tending to be smaller than those previously generated – the risk of health issues to workers can be increased due to traditional filters being unable to cope with these submicron particles.
In fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that over 65 million people currently suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with 3 million dying from it each year, making it the third leading cause of death worldwide.
Exposure to hazardous airborne particles can be significantly reduced by using an effective extraction system.