Scope. This guide covers bounded prompts for common wood, MDF, concrete, masonry and silica tasks. It does not assess unknown coatings/materials, asbestos, combustible atmospheres or other specialist dust hazards.
Capture dust where it is made
Dust control is most effective when designed into the process. Put an enclosing hood or compatible on-tool shroud close to the cutting, sanding, chasing or drilling point and maintain enough extraction airflow to capture the plume. For a task covered by an HSE water-suppression sheet, provide the stated water method at the cutting point and manage the resulting slurry. HSE’s construction guidance for cutting and sanding wood leads with on-tool extraction and task controls, not end-of-job clean-up. [HSE]
Capture is a chain. A good extractor cannot compensate for a missing shroud, crushed hose, leaking connector, blocked filter or incompatible port. Before starting, check that the hood encloses the source as intended, connections are secure, airflow indication is working where provided and the collection system is ready. Recheck when the sound, visible capture or airflow indicator changes.
Prevent spread beyond the work area. Plan positioning, segregation and waste handling before dust is made. Clean using controlled extraction suitable for the dust; do not dry sweep or blow settled dust back into the air. HSE’s wood-dust guidance identifies local exhaust ventilation and suitable vacuum cleaning as controls. [HSE]
A visible plume is a clear failure signal, but no visible plume does not prove capture of respirable particles. Use the task sheet, equipment indicators and examination/maintenance regime rather than eyesight alone. Keep replacement bags, filters and a controlled change method available before the collector fills.
Identify the material and task
“Dusty work” is not enough detail. Record the material, any board/coating, the operation, duration, location and the way the tool meets the work. Medium-density fibreboard (MDF) sanding is different from drilling concrete; chasing masonry is different from occasional hole drilling; vacuum clean-up is different from source capture.
| Task record | Questions that change the route |
|---|---|
| Wood/MDF cutting or sanding | Board type, hardwood/softwood, hand/power process, enclosure, tool hood and extraction connection |
| Concrete/masonry cutting or chasing | Silica-bearing material, cut method, compatible water or extraction task sheet, location and slurry |
| Drilling/coring | Diameter, depth, dry/wet method, capture collar, breakthrough and services |
| Vacuum clean-up | Dust type, class required by task guidance, bag/filter handling and disposal route |
HSE’s construction silica material explains that respirable crystalline silica can be released by cutting, drilling and grinding stone, concrete, mortar and similar materials. The controls depend on the task and exposure; a generic domestic dust label is not enough. [HSE]
Choose the engineering-control route
Use the relevant HSE task sheet or other competent assessment to choose between on-tool extraction, water suppression or a more specialist enclosure/ventilation method. Do not mix fragments of different methods. If a sheet specifies water at the cutting point, a damp floor afterwards is not equivalent. If it specifies extraction, a room air cleaner is not source capture.
For on-tool extraction, confirm the dust class prompted by the task, airflow/pressure requirement, hose diameter and length, connection, filter and collection method. The extractor must deliver the required performance while loaded, not just have a familiar badge. For water suppression, confirm flow, delivery to the contact point, electrical compatibility, run-off containment, slurry collection and disposal.
The Job Lab selector uses a deliberately limited material × task × method table based on cited guidance. Unlisted or contradictory combinations produce no automated prompt. That is a conservative publication rule, not law. [POLICY]
Room ventilation can supplement source control, but it is not interchangeable with capture at the tool. General ventilation that moves dust through another worker’s breathing zone may spread the problem. Position make-up air and extraction so they support the hood rather than pull the plume away from it.
What H class, M class and APF 20 mean here
HSE’s cited construction wood task guidance accepts an H- or M-class extraction unit for the specified cutting/sanding route, while cited construction clean-up guidance calls for at least M class in its context. Those statements are task-specific prompts, not permission to choose any machine carrying similar letters. [HSE] [HSE]
Do not infer class from “HEPA”, a brand, filter percentage or domestic vacuum description. The complete extraction unit, its classification, intended dust, condition and collection/disposal procedure must match the assessment and instructions.
An assigned protection factor (APF) of 20 is an RPE performance prompt found in relevant task guidance. It is not the same as “20 times safer”, and it does not establish that a particular mask fits a particular person. The task assessment must decide whether RPE is needed in addition to engineering controls.
RPE is not a substitute for source control
Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) sits behind prevention and engineering control. Where tight-fitting RPE is required, the selected facepiece needs a fit test for the wearer and must be compatible with other personal protective equipment. Facial hair or anything crossing the seal can prevent the intended fit.
Check filter type, condition, storage, donning, wear time and replacement rules. Loose-fitting powered equipment follows a different fitting route. None of these decisions can be made from dust class alone.
Keep people outside the dusty area where possible and do not contaminate clean spaces through clothing, tools or waste. The work method must include controlled emptying or bag changes; opening a collector carelessly can undo good capture.
RPE wear time must cover entry, work and controlled clean-up while airborne dust remains. A mask removed for conversation inside the work area breaks that protection period. Plan breaks and communication so the wearer is not pushed into repeated removal.
Supervision should check the method that is actually used: shroud still fitted, water reaching the cut, hose not pinched, filter response normal and waste contained. These are observable control points. Merely writing an extractor class in the assessment is not evidence that capture continued.
Record the checks and the defect response so the method can be reviewed after the shift.
Keep the extractor examination information and consumable-change instructions available to the people carrying out those checks.
Worked MDF sanding record
The task is 25 minutes of powered MDF sanding in an enclosed room. The material and task are identified, and the route prompts on-tool H- or M-class extraction plus an APF 20 RPE check. [HSE]
Before starting
- Confirm the sander’s extraction port and hood are intact and compatible with the hose.
- Confirm the complete extractor classification and manufacturer instructions, not only the filter label.
- Check hose, seals, collection bag/bin, filter and airflow indication.
- Plan enclosure/segregation, power lead routing and controlled clean-up.
- Assess the APF 20 prompt, face-fit status and wearer compatibility.
- Stop if the board, coating or contamination is not what the record assumes.
During the task, watch the capture point and any airflow indicator. If dust escapes materially, a hose detaches or the filter loads, stop and restore the method rather than accepting a cloud for the remaining minutes. Afterwards, use the controlled vacuum route and handle collected dust without re-release.
Stop: the generic route does not cover this hazard
Suppress the generic class/RPE prompt for:
- suspected asbestos or an asbestos-containing material;
- lead or another toxic coating without a task-specific assessment;
- biological contamination, nanomaterials or unknown material;
- combustible/explosive dust or an ATEX-classified atmosphere;
- any process outside the bounded table or with incompatible control information.
HSE’s Asbestos Essentials provides task-specific information but does not turn an unknown material into ordinary construction dust. Arrange identification and specialist assessment before disturbing it. [HSE]
Core drilling adds structural, services, water and breakthrough questions; see Planning a diamond core-drilling job. Exposure records may also need vibration and noise planning. The dust source group and Methodology show exactly how the prompt is bounded.
This guide provides a source-control planning route. It does not confirm a control system, RPE choice, work method or specialist hazard assessment.