Rank: Forum user 
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Hi My company will be opening a new site in the next few months, where we will be offering 'taster' courses of basic stonemasonry. The course will be a one-day course, in a small (approx. 7m x 10m) workshop. There will be six workstations, at which attendees will carve a piece of stone using hand tools. The courses will not run day in, day out. My question is, will we be required to provide a full extraction system - or will natural ventilation, wet cleaning and PPE be sufficient? The extraction systems we are looking at is a major outlay for something that will not be used constantly. Many thanks
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Rank: Forum user
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It normally boils down to what would be considered "reasonably practicable". If the cost to install a full extraction system outweighs the time spent undertaking the activity, installing other methods such as PPE and wet cleaning would be considered acceptable as long as they were maintained and training given to those attending etc.
What about a local extraction system? i.e. above a couple of the desks rather than trying to cover the full room? the trainer might need to stagger the training - so only half of the group do the carving at any one time with the others covering the design aspects (or something like that). Could reduce the cost perhaps?
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 1 user thanked Melrose80086 for this useful post.
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Have you considered an alternative to this perhaps? A video presentation with simulation if the objective is to provide taster lessons?
A good quality video presentation, have the actual masonry present but don't do any cutting. Demo the tools and how to use them safely with a safe system of work i.e. wet cutting, etc.
Good luck.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Please take this in the manner intended, but if you're thinking of running stonemasonry courses (at any frequency) why would you not want to include suitable safety measures to prevent the possibility of lung diseases and possibly silica exposure to the course participants ?
If course fees (or funding) don't stretch to doing the right thing, don't do it.
Sorry if this sounds harsh.
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Rank: Forum user
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Originally Posted by: Elfin Davy 09  Please take this in the manner intended, but if you're thinking of running stonemasonry courses (at any frequency) why would you not want to include suitable safety measures to prevent the possibility of lung diseases and possibly silica exposure to the course participants ?
If course fees (or funding) don't stretch to doing the right thing, don't do it.
Sorry if this sounds harsh.
We run full time stonemasonry courses at other venues which have appropriate extraction systems installed. What I am enquiring about is a one-off exposure during a one day course. Of course we want to include suitable safety measures, and fully intend to. I am asking whether an extraction system is akin to using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut. Would a one day exposure give rise to the possibility of lung disease?!
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Rank: Super forum user
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I'm assuming the point of these sessions is that they get to take something home? Don't quote me on this but I cannot imagine that a one-off, one-day session will create an exposure issue that couldn't be dealt with by natural ventilation and an FFP2 or 3 particulate mask followed by regular hoovering with a portable dust extraction unit, as long as they are only using hand tools. How many actual strikes of the chisel will they get to do in a few hours? Put other controls in place like washing the stone blanks and making sure dust is at a minimum from all sources. Of course you would be required to perform a risk assessment to determine this. Of course, the tutor and staff are at a greater risk because it is not a one-off for them. But what plans have you for continuing this if anyone likes the taster and wants to do more? If you have that facility why can't the tasters use the same facilities? Apologies, our posts obviously passed each other in the post (as it were) Edited by user 27 February 2019 18:39:49(UTC)
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1 user thanked Dave5705 for this useful post.
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Would one days exposure to asbestos dust lead to mesothelioma ? Who knows, but why take the risk ?
I do take your point incidentally, but I'm of the opinion that if you're going to it, do it properly (and to me, that would involve some sort of extraction to protect participants "so far as is reasonably practicable")
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1 user thanked Elfin Davy 09 for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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One fibre, one particle, one breath - attendees as individuals will have their own natural pre-dispositions to illness or possible previous exposure that could be compounded. Without controls how do you ensure that the EH40 WEL of 0.1mg/m3 8hr TWA for RCS is not exceeded?
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2 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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One fibre, one particle, one breath - attendees as individuals will have their own natural pre-dispositions to illness or possible previous exposure that could be compounded. Without controls how do you ensure that the EH40 WEL of 0.1mg/m3 8hr TWA for RCS is not exceeded?
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2 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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while the people taking the course may only have low level exposure - what about the people leading the course? Are they not going to attend the venue repeatedly so what about their health?
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Rank: Super forum user
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Someone (not me!) needs to look at the actual risk involved in this activity. You say you will be using hand tools and I assume this means nothing powered, which produce less respirable dust fraction than for example stone saws. The sort of stone that they use is also an issue, with some producing more dust and more hazardous dust (silica). EH40 has various WELs for different types of stone dust. Last year York Minster Stoneyard (I just happen to live in York and I am not connected to the Minster in anyway) had a stone carving festival/ competition in Dean’s park at the back of the Minster. There was no LEV in evidence. Suggest you contact them.
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2 users thanked A Kurdziel for this useful post.
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Rank: Forum user
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Thanks for all the responses!
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Rank: Super forum user
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Originally Posted by: DHeptinstall Thanks for all the responses! Ahh, but what have you decided to do?
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