4 minute read
Health Matters and Dust Extraction
Jay Hounsell, launched the Hertfordshire Kitchen Company two years ago and is successfully building a reputation for the supply and installation of quality domestic kitchens in Herts and the surrounding areas. Jay explains why he believes dust extraction should be the number one priority for everyone in the trade.
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“I’ve been working in the carpentry industry for 20-odd years and constantly working in an environment with dust extraction has meant that I have massively had to change my working practices. The new approach is
helped by the fact that I have a lot of Festool kit which I purchased primarily because its tools and dust extractors work together really well. I’m continually using routers, drills and circular saws with extractors and the Festool tools it makes the working environment more comfortable, cleaner and safer, I hate working in a mess and these products with the latest technologies minimise this immensely. Importantly, customers like a mess free environment too, our Facebook page for instance shows a number who have mentioned how clean and tidy the job has been.
Jay says that the health benefits have to be the number one reason for using Festool equipment, he says: “Obviously, high-performance extraction helps with the longevity of the tools which means less ‘down-time’ but most importantly, I’ve been lucky to never have suffered from asthma or other breathing problems and believe this is in no small part, attributable to the use of my Festool dust extractors and their excellent integration with their tools. After years of working in carpentry I’m aware of the risks of working without a dust extractor so now use one whenever the tools allow. Kitchen fitting is indoor work so it’s a ‘must’ as it’s not always practical or possible to do all the cutting outside.”
Jay continued, “I know people who don’t bother using them for a number of reasons; some think they are not necessary and too expensive, I’ve heard others say that they are too big and bulky to wheel in and out of jobs. Worse, I know of some installers who use something unsuitable that’s not up to the job! I think it’s a bit of laziness from some people and lack of awareness about the dangers.”
Health has become a big issue with KBB installers especially, Jay added, “Dust extraction has to be a top priority for people in the trade. I have two L Class extractors and, since we’ve developed our work with solid surface worktops that produces finer dust, I invested in an M Class system now too; I use each one depending on the job. The ‘system’ is what I like about Festool, the systainers enable easy organisation and all stack on top of each other which makes the mobility of kit when you’re on the job so
Festool, a leading supplier of high-end power tools and accessories, including a range of dust extractors, has been speaking with business owners as part of its latest ‘Breathe Easy’ campaign. The company has teamed up with the British Lung Foundation (BLF) to provide top quality cycling tops, available here: http://bit.ly/Festooltop, as a fundraising initiative and has asked business owners about their attitudes to dust extraction. According to the British Thoracic Society’s report The Burden of Lung Disease, men aged 20-64 employed in manual occupations are around 14 times more likely to die from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and are nine times more likely to die from tuberculosis.
Occupational lung diseases such as mesothelioma – caused by exposure to asbestos fibres – are increasing. Since 1992, mesothelioma deaths have increased by 70% to 1,862. Jon Burcham, Marketing Manager at Festool, said: “Festool has long-been recognised for our excellent dust extraction systems and due to heightened levels of understanding about the harm that dust can have on people’s lung health, we can see that dust extraction and the measures tradesmen need to take to protect their lungs will be something that will be legislated about in the near future.”
“Perfect for mobile use and assembly, the Festool range of safe and robust dust extractors are lightweight and compact, ideal to transport from job to job, saving time for tradespeople.” Jon concluded.
Festool’s dust extractors are suitable for any job from low to high class dust, including general work to anything that is a known carcinogen including lead, cadmium and asbestos. To find the right dust extractor for you, visit www.festool.co.uk for more information.
*1. Reference for research can be found here: www.britthoracic.org.uk/working-in-respiratory/burden-of-lungdisease/
