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Posted By Greyman
Can anyone help with some information? I have been trying to track down advice on hazards from breathing in charcoal dust during the emptying of the ring kiln method of production. What I specifically want to find out is the level of mask that needs to be used and how any hazards can affect health. As the ring Kiln method is used in the woods and on a semi-industrial basis - not used every day, only used seasonally etc and most operators are one man bands the resources available are limited. Having said that finding information to carry out assessments of the exposure and hazards seems very lacking.
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Posted By Paul Leadbetter
Sean
The standard of mask required will depend on the level of exposure to the dust although, if, as seems likely, the charcoal could contain any carcinogens, an FFP3 or P3 mask should be used so that inhalation exposure is as low as reasonably practicable.
Paul
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Posted By Greyman
Thanks Paul.
The RPE being used now is FFFP3 - and I know this should not be a consideration - but they are expensive and can only be used once. Like it or not economics do have a bearing on marginal businesses and encouraging PPE use and sensible H&S is what it is all about.
Thanks for taking the time to reply any hoo!
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Posted By Paul Leadbetter
Sean
Has anyone checked whether P3 would be cheaper in the long run?
Paul
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Posted By mark pearson
hi Greyan
one posible mask that you could consider using is say the drager x-polre 3500 that you can get with removable replaceable filters, we use it within a chemical environment and we have not had any problems with it however we dont work with any carcinagenic materials but i dont see why this would be a problem.... we use P3 filters for some dusty operations and the all in A1B1E1K1Hg-P3D filter for other tasks that require additional protection
the mask we source for less than £15 with the P3 particulate filter coming in at less than £5 the mask can be cleaned and reused many times if cleaned properly and the filters life will be confirmed by dragger but i would guess would be months. however if you do this you will need to keep a COSHH record of all maintenance carried out on the mask if reused. as well as the fit test....... etc
hope this is of use
mark
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Posted By Greyman
All grist to the mill.
Thanks.
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Posted By A Campbell
Not sure what you are discussing regarding use of a once only RPE (e.g. disposable).
Your first comment was that this is a seasonal task, e.g. restricted to short periods of time?
The cost benefits for disposable may outweigh the cost of 1/2 masks, filters, inspections, record keeping etc
More than likely exposure would be less than an 8 hour day?
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Posted By Greyman
Disposables is what is being used at the moment. When the kiln is emptied - which requires one man in the ring to shovel the charcoal out of the kiln so it can be bagged - it can take from a couple of hours for small kilns and several people packing, to 3 or 4 for the bigger rings. The protection is needed no doubt about it but if disposables are too expensive and half masks require a lot of paperwork we know that it will be harder to get PPE worn. These aren't companies with budgets but small operators who really need to maximise the returns. I know all the arguments for making the operators use PPE and that they are the losers long-term but evidence and not legislation can assist in getting people to wear the proper gear - not buying the cheapest face mask from the local DIY outfit. Production of charcoal in this country is slowly on the increase and is mainly of a small time nature, in woodlands hidden away and on marginal returns - they are fighting the cheap imports from the mangrove and Rain Forest producers. Convincing them that it is a good idea to use the right face mask without some evidence as to why is hard.
Thanks for the advise so far. I am wondering if we ought to stop the thread here though.
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